Do No Harm
by Emmy The Queen Salvatore
Summary: PART OF MY CROSSOVER COLLECTION. A healer first and a Traveller second, Elena Gilbert has lived for longer than she can remember, her heart ruled by the love she holds for a certain Salvatore. Separated by time, the star-crossed lovers find each other again and navigate the trials and tribulations of not only their love, but their chosen careers. AU
1. From The Bottom Of A Well

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything! Note: This is a mixture of storylines from Vampire Diaries and Grey's Anatomy. **

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America's Most Interesting City, Elena Gilbert has lived in New Orleans for longer than she can remember. Hell, she's been alive for longer than she can remember. A member of a group of semi-immortal witches, The Travellers, Elena has trekked every corner of the globe, but she'd never encountered a city like New Orleans in her travels. It intrigued her. Underneath the jazz and booze, she reveled in the dark underbelly. New Orleans isn't just any city. It's the supernatural melting pot of the world. Founded by supernaturals for supernaturals, Elena was allowed to embrace what she was. Humans turned a blind eye to the shenanigans of vampires and how the supernatural community infiltrated every part of life.

Tulane Medical Center was a testament to this fact. Humans, vampires, witches…they all knowingly worked at the hospital together although there were strict rules imposed on the supernaturals working there. For vampires, no giving vampire blood to patients. The de facto King of the Quarter, Marcel, didn't want any accidental turnings to deal with. The same rule applied to witches, no using magic to save patients. Elena was fine with that. She was a little sick of her magic and just wanted to be normal. However, she soon realized how much normal sucked when she started her surgical internship at Tulane. You see, to be a good surgeon, you have to think like a surgeon. Emotions are messy. Tuck them neatly away and step into a clean, sterile room where the procedure is simple. Cut, suture, and close. But sometimes you're faced with a cut that won't heal, a cut that rips its stitches wide open.

Elena took another shot at Rousseau's, a popular hang-out for the doctors of Tulane Medical Center, or TMC as the locals called it.

"You look familiar. You been here before?" Cami the bartender asked.

"Once. That worked out really well," Elena replied wryly.

"I know that look. It'll be one of two things. Either your boss is giving you hell or your boyfriend is. Which is it?"

"Both. My boyfriend is my boss, which was a problem. But not as big a problem as the fact that my boyfriend has a wife."

"Tell you what, this one, it's on the house," Cami replied sympathetically as she poured her another drink. Meanwhile in the lobby of the hospital, two vampires faced off against each other. Dr. Stefan Salvatore, the head of plastic surgery, and his estranged wife, Dr. Lexi Branson.

"Lexi, what are you doing here?" he growled.

"Your hair's different," Lexi replied after fiddling with her lapis lazuli necklace.

"A lot of things are different. What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here? You just pick up and leave everything? Your house, your friends? You had a life in Mystic Falls."

"Had."

"And now you have a girlfriend in New Orleans. She seems sweet."

"The ice you're on. Thin."

"She's young. That whole wide-eyed, ooh he's-a-plastic-surgeon thing happening, but still sweet. Which was what you were going for, right? The anti-Lexi?"

"If you came out here to try and win me back, forget about it."

"I did. I flew all the way across the country to reminisce over wedding photos, get drunk on blood, fall into bed, and make you realize you can't live without me. Relax. I'm here to work. I'm the lead on the TTTS case you guys admitted last week and from Alaric's briefing, you need me."

"Alaric knew you were coming out here?" Stefan asked, shocked that the Chief of Surgery hadn't informed him.

"He asked me to come. All his human OBs are incompetent. He needed someone with my particular skills. Didn't he tell you?"

"No. He didn't."

"Hmm. Surprise."

Over nine hundred miles away in the rolling hills of Virginia, Damon Salvatore, Stefan's elder brother, woke with a startle in his room at the old Salvatore Boarding House. That same dream again, well, not really dream, memory. It haunted him. His own failures, his inability to protect what was his until it was too late. He threw off the covers and walked toward a large chest lying underneath the window. He opened it up and removed an old tin photo. It featured a beautiful brunette with a name and date scrawled in the bottom right hand corner. _Elena Gilbert, 1864._ Damon stroked the picture tenderly as the memory of what he'd lost accosted him.

_1864, Georgia_

Hurriedly, Damon ran up the stairs to his beloved, Elena Gilbert of the prominent Gilbert Family. As he opened the door to her bedroom, maids quickly rushed out of the room to give the two privacy. Damon sighed, knowing the fever had taken root in her petite body. Sweat poured down Elena's face and her breathing was shallow.

"Lena," he murmured as he approached the bed.

"Damon," Elena smiled drowsily. "You came back."

"Of course. I told you I'd come back."

"It looks a lot worse than it is."

"You're a bad liar." Elena chuckled.

"It's my time. I've lived long enough, too long. I accept it."

"I don't. We're just getting started, you and me. I don't accept it." Elena shakily raised her hand and stroked his face.

"My strength. It grows weaker, every day. There's a way to save me, but you'll have to sacrifice too much for it. The price is too high."

"What is it? Tell me. I will do anything to be with you. Name the price."

"Death. Your death. I have heard stories of many vampires taking residence in Mystic Falls, your home."

"Vampires?"

"Beasts that take human form, the undead. They feed on the blood of others. Get one to turn you. The blood of a vampire is healing. That is the only way. But…you must be quick. I don't have much time left."

"I think I know one. Her name is Katherine. She looks exactly like you."

"A doppelganger." Elena chuckled. "She's vicious. Be careful, Damon. She could…." Elena screamed in pain.

"Shh. Relax, relax." Damon stroked her face, lulling her into semi-consciousness. "Sleep. I will return. I promise you." He kissed her forehead and left as quickly as he had come.

_Present Day_

Damon was shaken out of the memory when his cell phone rang. Damon walked to the nightstand, curious as to who could be calling this late.

"Hello?" he answered.

"I found her. You should come to New Orleans as soon as possible," replied the voice of an old friend.

Meanwhile in New Orleans, Elena was joined at the bar by Matt Donovan and Bonnie Bennett, her witch best friend and fellow surgical intern.

"Let's play a game of whose life sucks the most. I'll win. I always win," Elena groaned, drunk.

"You don't want to play with me," said Bonnie.

"Oh, I do. I'll even go first. Stefan's married." Matt Donovan spit out his beer.

"Matt, beer is dripping from your nostrils," Bonnie grimaced. Matt wiped his face with a napkin.

"Told you I'd win."

"No, you didn't…."

"Stefan is married," Elena interrupted. "As in pigheaded, adulterous, liar married. Nothing you could say could top that."

"Okay, yeah, you win," Bonnie admitted. "But…I thought you weren't in love with him. I thought Damon…" Elena slammed her glass down.

"Don't say his name. It's too painful. God, I wish I was a vampire. That I could just shut off these damn emotions! After _him_, I didn't think there was any love left in me. I severely underestimated myself; otherwise this wouldn't hurt so damn much. I ended up falling for that adulterous bastard. I think I'm going to be sick."

"Well, vodka shots will do that to you," Matt quipped.

"I betrayed him. I betrayed the man I loved. I fell in love with someone else."

"I'm sure he would understand. I'm sure it's what he would want," said Bonnie comfortingly.

"You don't know anything about him, Bonnie. He is funny. Was funny." A low chortle left Elena's lips. "Keep forgetting he's dead. He died over a hundred years ago and I keep forgetting he's dead. You'd think I'd learn by now. He…he was reckless and irresponsible. Selfish. Arrogant. Sarcastic. Jealous as hell. The last thing he'd want is for me to fall for someone else. I loved that about him. He made me feel loved. He made me feel again."

"And Stefan?"

"Stefan…after that day, for over a hundred years, I lived…dead inside. Stefan brought me back to life and now the whole world's collapsing around me…because I'm not _that_ girl. I'm not the mistress. That's not who I am. At least, that's what I thought. I don't even know who I am anymore."

The three of them then noticed Stefan walk into the bar. Elena immediately headed for the door.

"Elena!" Stefan called after her as she headed for the parking lot.

"Go away!"

"Just wait. We should discuss this."

"Here's a thought. No! Quit following me!"

"At least let me explain."

"Explain? You know when you should have explained? The night we met in the bar. Before any of the rest of it. Yeah, that would have been a good time to discuss it."

"Just listen. One night I parked my car, I unlock my front door, go inside my house, and something 's different. Nothing's different, everything's the same, but yet, still, something's different. And I stand there for a while. And then I know. See, there are moments for me, you know, usually when I'm in the OR, when I just know what's gonna happen next. So I go upstairs. As I'm walking down the hall, I try to prepare myself for what I'm gonna see when I go into my bedroom. I step on a man's jacket that doesn't belong to me. And everything I think I know just shifts. Because the jacket that doesn't belong to me is a jacket that I recognize. And what I know now is that when I go into my bedroom, I'm not just gonna see that my wife is cheating on me. I'm gonna see that my wife is cheating on me with my big brother. It's just so pedestrian, common and dirty, and cruel. Mostly just cruel. I left, came out here."

"And you met me."

"And I met you."

"Well, what was I to you? The girl you screwed to get over being screwed?"

"You were like coming up for fresh air. It's like I was drowning and you saved me. That's all I know."

"It's not enough."

"Look, I know how you feel."

"Oh, do you? Somehow I doubt that. Because if you did, you would _shut up_, and you would turn around and go back inside, because you would realize that I am this close to getting in my car and running you down in the parking lot!" She left and Matt ran up to her with an umbrella to keep the pouring rain from pelting down on her. Stefan walked back inside.

"Where are your keys?" Matt asked.

"I'm fine!"

"Elena, give me your keys. I'm taking you home."

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	2. Go Tell The World

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything! Note: This is a mixture of storylines from Vampire Diaries and Grey's Anatomy. **

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Stefan, absolutely furious, slammed the door open to the Chief of Surgery, Dr. Alaric Saltzman's office.

"What is she doing here!" he yelled.

"You and I both know she's the best in the business," said Alaric, not looking up from his paperwork. "Marcel referred me to her for the TTTS case. Bringing Lexi out was a business decision, nothing personal."

"Oh. What a relief. It's not personal," Stefan murmured sarcastically. "It is personal to me."

"The workings of my surgical unit don't have anything…"

"Don't include my wife!" Stefan interrupted.

"Don't include your private life! Why didn't you tell me you had blood-drinking issues? Why did I have to find out from Marcel?"

"That was decades ago. I've learned control. When I'm in that OR, I don't even want the taste of it. It's clinical."

"Because Lexi taught you control, right?" Stefan looked away. "Dr. Jesse Porter will take over as Chief until I come back from vacation. I'm leaving this weekend."

"You gave Chief to Porter? He's green!"

"Everyone's green to you. You're 160 years old. Look, there's no room for personal in being Chief. "

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"How long have you been sleeping with an intern?"

"So I guess part of being chief is personal," Stefan scoffed.

"Close the door on your way out." Stefan left, slamming the door.

The following morning, Elena rose early from bed. She had a lot to do this morning. Her first stop was Marcel's home, the Abbatoir in the Quarter. He had been pestering her with voicemails all night.

"Marcellus!" she called out from the courtyard. "Come on, Marcel! I don't have all day! I'm a busy woman!"

"Ah, if it isn't the one and only, my beautiful Traveller," said Marcel, emerging from his study. He jumped down off the balcony to stand in front of her.

"I'm not _your_ Traveller. I thought we made that clear."

"Sorry. Old habits."

"What do you want?"

"You're not answering your phone."

"I had a rough night."

"Hmm. I heard. My condolences." Elena's temper began to wear thin.

"What do you want?"

"Well, I hoped you'd reconsidered what we'd talked about earlier." Elena rolled her eyes. For months, Marcel had been harassing her to take control of the French Quarter witches.

"You just don't quit, do you?"

"Come on. You're a Petrova Traveller. A woman your age with those powers, it'd be easy. You'd be a queen. The ruler of the witches. Don't tell me you wouldn't prefer that to being some surgical intern."

"Marcel, I have been a practitioner of medicine for many centuries. I take pride in my work. And every decade or so I like to start from the beginning. See how the medicine has changed. Besides, you could use more witches in the hospital. Vampires are practically running it. Stefan Salvatore, Lexi Branson, Rose-Marie Adair, Sage Charbonneau. They're all vampires. The place needs some balance and I have no interest in dealing with those _common_ witches."

"You call them common, but yet you associate with a Bennett."

"Are you stalking me?"

"I take a healthy interest in your well-being."

"Well, if you must know, the Bennett line is directly descended from the Travellers. She's a peer. Now like I said I refuse to associate with those _common_ witches. Their magic is filthy. Using cursed objects, those bloody rituals. In my day, they would have been drawn and quartered for the use of such vile spells."

"I know, I know, you hate them. All I'm saying is that maybe if you demonstrated a show of force, they'd fall in line, then you'd never have to hear from them again. I'd deal with the fallout."

"Marcel, I know you better than anyone. I won't be used. I won't be your pawn. You are being quite persistent about this. What have they done now?"

"I have heard rumblings. The Harvest is approaching. You know how I feel about that. It abuses children. I was thinking maybe you could just…scare them a little."

"Alright, fine. But you owe me. Also, things might get a little violent so..."

"You will be protected as always, my lady."

"Very well. See you around, Marcel." Elena walked out of the courtyard and Damon emerged from a corner.

"Your curiosity satisfied?" Marcel asked.

"Very," Damon replied. "Thank you for calling her. I just had to be sure."

"Oh, trust me. She isn't Katherine. Elena is one of a kind."

"Don't I know it."

"I take it you're staying in town then."

"If I still have a chance with her, I'm not leaving any time soon."

"Wonderful. It's always a pleasure to have the infamous Salvatores in my town."

"What's been going on since she came here?"

"You're talking about the Rumor."

"I have another source who says it isn't just a rumor."

"Then your source would be correct. She was involved with your brother. I think she got pulled in more than she realized. She's strong, but she's nursing her wounds."

"Then I should move carefully."

"Yes, you should. An unstable Elena isn't a pleasant sight."

A few minutes later, Elena arrived at Lafayette Cemetery where the witches of the Quarter were known to congregate. She burst into one of the large mausoleums where the witches were having a meeting.

"Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Elena boomed. The witches grew silent and cowered. "I don't like being drawn into Marcel's home and interrogated as to the mischief you're trying to pull. If I have told you once, I have told you a thousand times. There will be no Harvest!"

"Without the Harvest, our magic dies," said Agnes.

"I don't care for the consequences. There will be no more blood rituals, no more cursed objects. The Travellers have declared such techniques forbidden and I will not allow you to defy their will. Not while I'm in this town. Do I make myself clear?"

"You just want to be the only witch in town, you old fool." Elena's eyes blackened and the male warlock who spoke out was thrown into a wall, his neck snapped.

"It is quite rude to call a lady old. Would anyone else like to voice an opinion?" The room was silent. "Very well. Remember, I am a Traveller, which means I am your elder, your superior! The pure magic of the Travellers reigns over that of the Common Witches. That is how it has always been and how it always shall be. My orders are absolute! No blood rituals, no cursed objects. Bastiana!"

"Yes, Traveller?" the elder bowed.

"If I hear of this matter again and am forced to come out to this hell hole one more time, our next meeting won't be so civil. I'll be forced to expunge this entire Coven. Every adult, every child. Alive or dead. I will destroy your ancestral spirits. So it won't matter if there's a Harvest or not. Your magic will be dead, lost forever. And you know how easily I can do it. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes, Traveller."

"Good." Elena's manner turned more cheerful. "Carry on." Elena then left with a smirk. Now she could go back to work, back to being normal, well at least as normal as she could be. Before stopping by the hospital, she visited her mother, Dr. Miranda Gilbert, at a nursing home. Elena's parents were also semi-immortal Travellers, but their magical gifts only protected them from old age, not diseases or mortal wounds. The aging process stopped and resumed when the Traveller willed it. Miranda had been committed to Lambeth House when she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. None of Elena's friends knew her mother had been committed or that she was sick. Miranda was sitting in a chair while Elena helped herself to some coffee.

"I'm exhausted," said Miranda.

"Me too," Elena chuckled as she placed the coffee and some food on the table in front of Miranda.

"I was going at it all night in the on-call room. What's your excuse?" Elena turned around to face her mother, shocked.

"Mom."

"I'll tell ya that man makes me purr like a kitten."

"Mom!"

"When he isn't making me growl like a tiger."

"Stop!" Miranda chuckled to herself.

"And my husband wonders why I'm not interested in him anymore." Elena's jaw just about dropped to the floor. "If he had any balls at all he would leave on his own. No. He plays stupid. He's waiting for me to kick him out. I come home with a hickey on my shoulder. A hickey! For god's sake like I'm a sex-crazed teenager. Which let's face it these days I am. And what does Grayson do? Pretend he doesn't see it." Elena was stunned at the information and quickly said her goodbyes before leaving for work. As she walked in the parking lot, she met up with Bonnie, Matt, and Caroline Forbes, another intern.

"Okay, what's wrong with you?" Bonnie asked, noticing a sick look on Elena's face.

"My mommy's a filthy whore," Elena grimaced as she walked past Bonnie. Stefan was waiting for Elena underneath the carport of the hospital, but she walked past him. "Stop."

"What?" Stefan asked as he followed her.

"You're stalking me. Stop it."

"Did we not communicate last night?"

"Yes."

"Did you hear what I was saying?"

"Your wife screwed your brother."

"And from that point on she no longer existed to me anymore."

"You had marital amnesia."

"No. Come on I bared my soul to you last night."

"It's not enough."

"How can that not be enough?" Elena stopped and turned around to face him.

"When you waited two months to tell me and I had to find out by her showing up all leggy and fabulous and telling me herself, you pulled the plug. I'm a sink with an open drain, anything that you say runs right out. There is no enough." She walked into the hospital to meet Bonnie at the elevator as Stefan looked on, sad.

"She probably could've picked a better metaphor," said Matt as he and Caroline walked in past Stefan.

"Give her a break, she's got a hangover," Caroline retorted. Jesse walked down into the waiting room as Stefan arrived. Elena, Caroline, Matt, and Bonnie were waiting for the elevator.

"Dr. Salvatore!" Jesse called.

"Dr. Porter," Stefan returned, still looking at Elena.

"Dr. Saltzman will be leaving in a few days for vacation, but he's having me run his errands so I can get used to my new position before he leaves. He wanted me to let you know we have an organ donor coming in this afternoon from Galliano General. We're doing a harvest."

"Commendable."

"In O.R. 1 at 4."

"I'm in O.R 1 at 4."

"Your surgery is non-critical…"

"You can't bump me!"

"As Chief I can."

"Interim Chief. Bump somebody else!"

"You're in the O.R we need."

"Why don't they do the harvest at Galliano?"

"Small facility in the boonies? A doc in a box? We have the location, the airport nearby and the staff. Your surgery is rescheduled." Stefan just glared at him and then walked away. The elevator door opened and the interns walked inside.

"Mine's bigger than yours," Bonnie mocked to Elena as fellow intern, Tyler Lockwood, walked in.

"Whip it out. I'll measure," he wisecracked.

"Shut up, Tyler," Bonnie muttered, disgusted. After leaving the elevator, Elena spotted Chief Saltzman by the nurses' station.

"Elena," he nodded.

"Chief. I thought you were leaving for vacation today."

"In a few days. My flight got postponed due to the weather, but I'm letting Jesse run around and do all my work."

"A trial run?" Elena chuckled.

"Sort of."

"Can I ask you something? Not work related?"

"Okay."

"You remember when my mom worked for this hospital?"

"Course."

"Do you remember my father?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know why he left?"

"I believe your mother asked him to."

"Right but do you know why?"

"No. No, I'm sorry I don't. Well, have a good day."

"Thanks, you too." Alaric walked away, unsettled.

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	3. Night Rocker

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything! Note: This is a mixture of storylines from Vampire Diaries and Grey's Anatomy. **

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After Elena changed into her light blue scrubs and lab coat, the interns' assigned resident, Dr. Meredith Fell, walked into the locker room to dole out assignments.

"Ok, people, assignments. Bennett, you're on discharges. Donovan, report to room E19. Gilbert, come see me, and who was on call last night?" She looked at Tyler and Caroline and them a stack of charts. "Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. Redo these and return them to me before lunch, understood?"

"Understood," said Tyler smartly.

"Lockwood, don't tempt me," said Meredith as she walked out of the room with Elena. "Somebody's popular."

"Meaning?"

"There's been a special request, just for you." A few minutes later, Jesse was walking through the hall with Stefan.

"I suppose a congratulations are in order," said Stefan.

"Don't sweat it, Salvatore. I'll only be your boss for a few days."

"I'm well aware of Alaric's vacation time. I'm the one who suggested he take one, remember?"

"I do and he chose me to take over while recruiting your wife."

"Clearly, he has brain damage."

"Or is it your ex-wife? I'm a little fuzzy on that."

"We're separated."

"Sorry to interrupt, Dr. Porter," said Lexi, walking up to the two men.

"You're never interrupting," said Jesse.

"She's always interrupting," Stefan countered.

"I was just checking to see if Dr. Porter secured the intern?" Lexi asked as Elena walked up.

"Intern you requested? He did," Elena replied. Stefan looked at Lexi and then Jesse. Jesse smiled and walked away. Stefan walked away and left Elena and Lexi there staring at each other. Lexi smirked and the two doctors walked into a patient's room, Julie Philips.

"Define TTTS," Lexi ordered to Elena.

"Twin-twin transfusion syndrome. Conjoined fetal twins."

"Connected by?"

"Blood vessels in the placenta."

"Meaning?" Elena paused, not knowing the answer. "One twin gets too much blood, the other too little, endangering the lives of both. I'd expect you to know that, Gilbert."

"They told me there wasn't much chance anything could be done," said Julie.

"TTTS is usually impossible to correct," said Lexi. "Unless you happen to be one of a handful of surgeons in the world who knows how to separate fetal blood vessels. Which, luckily for you, I am. So we're gonna get you into surgery tomorrow. If you have any questions at all, please ask Dr. Gilbert. From what I have seen, she is one of the hospital's most popular interns." Elena and Lexi walked into the hallway.

"I could've answered your question had you given me the chance," Elena argued.

"Chin up, Gilbert. I'm this tough on everyone, not just the women my husband sleeps with," said Lexi as Julie overheard the conversation. "Order an ultrasound for her and pre-op labs in full."

In an abandoned hallway, Caroline and Tyler were sitting on a gurney, fixing their charts.

"Who's Halloran?" Tyler asked.

"Patient in 4115. Red hair? Wife knits all the time? He had the colectomy?"

"Ah, colon dude. That's right. Who's Monterroso?"

"4238. Mom with the really cute kids. She spiked a post-op fever last night. You spent two hours monitoring her."

"Hernia chick. That's right."

"You have been treating these people for the last week. How can you not know their names?"

"Surgery is the only specialty where we don't waste time getting to know the patients. They're slabs of meat, we're butchers."

"They're human beings. You do know what a human is, don't you, Evil Spawn?"

"I'm not evil. Unless evil turns you on."

"Do you ever wake up in the morning, realize nobody likes you, and, I don't know, care?"

"Oh. I think somebody likes me." Caroline rolled her eyes. Back on the surgical floor, Elena was in Julie's room, performing an ultrasound.

"What does it take to go after another woman's husband?" Julie asked, unnerving Elena.

"Excuse me?"

"It happened to me. Jeff moved in with a long-legged miniskirt who answers his phones three weeks into my pregnancy. By the way, that gel is really cold."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry about your husband."

"Are you sorry about Dr. Branson-Salvatore's husband?"

"I'm going to be checking a few things today."

"I bet she asked to work with you. It's what I would have done."

"I'm gonna go check on your labs." Elena walked to a nurse's station and picked up a cancer chart. She couldn't look at an OB chart without thinking about Lexi and she desperately needed something to distract her

"You look nice today," said Matt, walking up to her.

"Wore my new lip gloss. Cause my ex-boyfriend's wife looks like a model, and I'm like…me. I'm trying to outdo her when she's the victim here. How crazy is that?"

"Not crazy. Smart. You know, gloss, you know, prevents chapped lips and…wait, ex-boyfriend?" Matt's interest was definitely piqued. He'd always held a certain affection for Elena.

"I'm an evil mistress."

"Well, still. You look nice." Elena smiled and Matt walked away to attend to his patients. As Elena read through the cancer chart, she calmed down. Suddenly, a very handsome man wearing a leather jacket and dark t-shirt came up behind her and peered over her shoulder.

"Invasive non-cell with a history of COPD. That guy's pretty much a goner, huh?" asked the man. Elena turned around and was stunned. Damon, her Damon. The man she fell in love with over one hundred years ago was standing right in front of her. Alive. At first, she couldn't comprehend it, but then it hit her…he was a vampire. She could see it now. In a matter of seconds, Elena assumed Damon didn't remember her. While Elena was ill in the 1800s, her Traveller powers awakened and wiped the memories of her maids. None of them remembered who she was or why they were there. Elena could only infer that Damon was present in the house as well during The Awakening. That had to be why he had never returned to her. But now…what was he doing here? What should she do? Should she tell him about her? "I know. I'm ridiculously sexy."

"Sensitivity. I like that in a stranger," Elena replied, deciding to play coy for now. She needed to find out as much information as possible before she dropped a bomb on him. "Are you new here?"

"Visiting. Confounded by all the rain and it's only my first day in town."

"You get used to it."

"Makes me wanna stay in bed all day." Elena got a little hot under the collar. Wow, had Damon changed. Elena had thought he was ridiculously attractive in the 1800s, but now he was even more so.

"We just met and already you're talking about bed? Not very subtle." From an adjacent conference room, Stefan noticed his brother flirting with his ex-girlfriend while Lexi came up a hallway. They were both equally shocked.

"Subtle has never been my strong suit. So…do you ever go out with co-workers?"

"I, um, make it a rule not to." Damon shot her a smirk. "Are you hitting on me? In a hospital?"

"Would that be wrong?" Elena smiled.

"Elena." They shook hands and Matt looked through the window of the nurses' station annoyed. All of a sudden Stefan punched Damon across the face, so hard it knocked him to the ground. "Stefan! What the hell was that! I'm so sorry, sir." Elena helped Damon up.

"It's okay. I deserved that."

"That is my brother," Stefan growled to Elena. She looked between the two confused. Elena didn't know Damon had a brother. The thought had never occurred to her that Stefan could be related to her past lover. She knew they both had the same last name, but she had thought all of Damon's immediate family was dead.

"Oh," Elena muttered.

"Damon Salvatore. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Elena," said Damon.

"Stefan!" Alaric called across the hall. "Conference! Now!" Stefan grudgingly left and Elena took Damon to a trauma room. Elena could feel his gaze on her as she turned to the sink. She had heard rumors in the 1800s that Damon had had a relationship with Katherine Pierce, her doppelganger. Could he be back thinking she was Katherine? "You know you can stop looking at me like I'm Katherine Pierce. I'm not her."

"What do you know about Katherine?"

"I've been around a long time. I know a lot of things, Mr. Salvatore."

"Like what?"

"I don't kiss and tell. Why isn't that cut on your face healing?" Damon looked at her curiously. "I know you're a vampire. It rolls off you in waves."

"I've heard Travellers can see different supernatural species by looking at their auras. You're one of them, aren't you?"

"I am. Elena Gilbert of the Petrova Travellers."

"Is it really true that even a vampire can get one of them pregnant?" Damon asked, curious. "I'm asking out of purely scientific curiosity."

"Yes. It's true. Now go on. Heal yourself. I thought it was an automatic reflex for vampires."

"Old vampires can control the healing factor. Just clean it. There are a lot of humans in this hospital that saw my little foray with my baby bro. I don't want any of them getting suspicious of my true nature."

"This is New Orleans, the supernatural capital of the world. I'm sure they won't mind."

"I'm old school. Besides, when you've lived as long as I have, you begin to think you're invincible. It's good to feel the pain. Reminds you that you're vulnerable, just like everybody else." Elena nodded and took a swab to clean the blood from Damon's cut. "Stefan and I always did have the same taste in women."

"Excuse me?"

"You're Stefan's lusty intern, right? Heard about you all the way back in Mystic Falls. You're famous." Underneath his humorous façade however, rage burned through Damon's veins. How dare Stefan touch what was his. Although he couldn't blame Stefan, as the younger Salvatore never knew about his relationship with Elena. Still, the rage was there.

"Hmm, well I heard about you all the way here in New Orleans so I guess we have a lot in common."

"We're the dirty mistresses."

"I suppose we are."

"My 400 dollar an hour shrink says that behind this rugged and confident exterior, I'm self destructive and self loathing to an almost pathological degree."

"Hey, we do have a lot in common."

"You know it's funny, Stefan…" He turned to face Elena as she cleaned his wound with antiseptic, but she grabbed his face so he was staring straight ahead. "Stefan walks in on me naked with his wife actually in the throes. And he just turns around and walks away, but he sees me so much as talking to you and I'm on the ground bleeding. Interesting, don't you think?"

"Just for the record, I'm no longer interested in your brother. I don't date liars." She placed a towel on Damon's shoulder and moved to start suturing his face.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"Since you refuse to heal yourself, you're going to need stitches."

"I know." He held up a mirror. "Hold the mirror." Elena chuckled, handed him the surgical tools, and took the mirror, standing in front of him so he could stitch the wound up himself.

"I should have figured. You're a doctor too."

"One of the best."

Out the window, Caroline, Tyler, Bonnie, and Matt were watching from the nurses' station.

"Why is he suturing his own face?" Matt asked.

"To turn me on," said Bonnie. "God, no wonder Elena fell for him."

"Wait, that's the guy Lexi was sleeping with?" Matt asked.

"You can't really blame her, can you?" Caroline asked.

"No, not really," Bonnie answered.

"Yes, you can," Matt replied as Elena walked toward them.

"McSexy wants an x-ray to check for fractures and I think it's a bad idea if I take him," said Elena.

"Why? Why?" Matt asked.

"I'm on it," said Tyler before leaving.

"Why is it a bad idea?" Matt asked.

"McSexy?" Bonnie asked.

"No?"

"McYummy," said Caroline.

"No," Bonnie and Elena shot Caroline down.

"McSteamy," Elena interjected.

"Oh, there it is," Bonnie groaned as they looked at Damon through the trauma room window.

"Just choking back some McVomit," Matt replied before walking off.

"Bonnie, it's _him_," said Elena.

"No way. That's _the_ Damon, _your_ Damon? I thought he was dead," Bonnie gasped.

"So did I? Apparently, I was wrong."

"Did you know he and Stefan were brothers?"

"Had no clue. I knew they could possibly be related, but I thought Stefan was some cousin or something. Things are going to get very messy."

"What are you going to do?"

"Nothing yet. I'm still dealing with this Stefan stuff. I don't have the emotional capacity to deal with Damon right now. I'll wait. See what happens."

* * *

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	4. Like A Star

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything! Note: This is a mixture of storylines from Vampire Diaries and Grey's Anatomy. **

* * *

In a conference room, Stefan was sitting down. Lexi walked in with an ice pack and placed it on his hand. Stefan removed it, not wanting her help. Alaric paced around angrily while Lexi sat a few chairs away from Stefan.

"Punching out people on my surgical floor! My head of Plastics punching out people on my surgical floor!"

"Put the ice back on your hand," said Lexi.

"My hand is fine!"

"Put the damn ice on your 2 million dollar a year hand!" Alaric yelled. "No forget that. Heal your damn hand!" Stefan allowed his healing factor to mend the bruises. "Now, would someone tell me what the hell happened?" Stefan shot Lexi a look.

"That was Damon," said Lexi.

"Who's Damon?" Alaric asked, calmer.

"Stefan's brother," Lexi mumbled. "We were all friends until Stefan found us in bed together."

"You put your weight behind it?" Alaric asked Stefan.

"Yes."

"Well, alright then." Alaric left and Lexi placed her head in her hands.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Stefan asked Lexi.

"I have no idea."

On the surgical floor, Elena walked back into Julie's room.

"When I found out about the miniskirt, I called her up and took her to lunch. It was perfectly civil. I said I didn't hold it against her, that these things happened. But, really? I just wanted to put a face on the bitch that got my husband to throw away fifteen years of marriage." Elena ignored the woman, concentrating on finishing the ultrasound. Later, Stefan and Lexi encountered Damon in the hallway.

"Little brother," Damon greeted.

"What are you doing here, you ass?" Stefan growled. Damon just stared at Stefan. "Answer the damn question!"

"I believe that's for me to know and you to dot dot dot." Smirking, Damon walked away. Before Stefan could go after Damon, he noticed Elena, working in Julie Philips' room.

"That took a lot of nerve, you pulling Elena on your service," he said.

"Oh come on, she came highly recommended."

"Right."

"So you don't recommend her?"

"No, I did not say that."

"Just not for her medical skills."

"Oh, would you shut up?" Elena walked up to them.

"Dr. Salvatore."

"Yes?" Stefan and Lexi replied.

"Labs confirm what look like abnormalities on the ultrasound. I think you should come and see for yourself."

"Fine. Let's go," said Lexi.

"Elena, Elena," Stefan called.

"Don't," Elena replied harshly. They walked into the patient's room and Elena showed Lexi the ultrasound. "See. Bilateral pleural effusion with evidence of sub-Q edema."

"In English, please?" Julie asked.

"We've detected what looks like beginning heart failure in the twins. Don't be alarmed," Lexi translated.

"Are my babies gonna be okay?"

"I'm gonna go ahead and take you into surgery now. We're not gonna wait. Book the OR." Elena took a slot in the OR and observed as Lexi performed surgery on Julie, the scent of blood not bothering the vampire even one bit. A few hours later, Julie roused from the anesthetic.

"See? Just a small scar," said Lexi.

"And my babies?" Lexi asked.

"Your babies are doing very well. And Dr. Gilbert will be back to check on you a little bit later."

"Actually, I'd prefer it if Dr. Gilbert were taken off the case."

"Why, is there a problem?"

"Just reminds me of someone I don't like very much. Someone my husband likes a lot. Particularly in lingerie. You understand."

"No, no, I don't understand."

"Well, she's sleeping with your husband, right?"

"Ms. Philips, I lack Dr. Gilbert's class and patience so, let me set the record straight. My husband didn't cheat on me. I cheated on him. The wronged woman here, Dr. Gilbert. So, I think you owe her one hell of an apology." Lexi left the room immediately. A few minutes later, Elena was charting next to Meredith when Lexi walked by. "Dr. Gilbert, may I speak with you for a moment?" she asked. Elena looked at Meredith.

"Don't look at me for help." Elena walked up to Lexi and they walked down the hallway together.

"I assumed he told you why he left me." Elena looked annoyed and stopped, walking in front of Lexi.

"Dr. Salvatore, with all due respect, this has nothing to do with me." Elena walked off, but Lexi followed her.

"Really? So you're not taking him back. Good girl."

"And in the future I'd appreciate it if we could keep our relationship strictly professional." Lexi stopped walking and Elena continued to walk away. Lexi called out to her and Elena turned around.

"Elena. Sometimes people do desperate things to get someone's attention." Elena made a face and walked away. "There are two sides to every story!"

In the MRI viewing room, Stefan and Matt were observing a MRI being taken.

"You ever had a crappy day, Donovan? I mean really, really crappy?" Stefan asked.

"I have had many crappy days."

"Look out for her."

"Elena?"

"Yeah." Stefan walked away, leaving Matt bewildered. In Alaric's office, Damon walked in.

"Hey, Ric," he smirked.

"Damon!" The two hugged.

"I take it you didn't let Stefan know about our friendship."

"No. I did what you told me. He thinks I hate your guts."

"Good. Let's keep it that way for a while. Thank you for calling me. I've been searching for her for a long time."

"What is it about Katherine that keeps you coming back?"

"She's not Katherine." Alaric looked at his friend quizzically. "It's Elena. I've never been in love with anyone the way I've been with Elena. It's a very long story, the affair between her and I. I don't think she remembers me."

"What happened between you two?"

"I was wounded on the battlefield as a human. She was a nurse who took care of me, saved my arm. We both fell in love with each other. To make a long story short, she got sick, really sick. Her powers as a Traveller hadn't awakened so she was vulnerable. She told me that the only way she could be saved was if she were brought vampire blood. I knew Katherine was a vampire and staying at my family home. I immediately left Elena in Georgia and went back to Virginia so Katherine could turn me and I could save Elena. I visited her one weekend after a particularly nasty fight between Stefan and I over Katherine. Elena was acting strange, she seized up, and her Traveller powers awakened, healed her. Unfortunately, they erased my memory of her. I didn't know why I was in Georgia so I left and went back to Mystic Falls."

"Wait so if you forgot her, how do you remember her now?"

"I was turned into a vampire. The memories didn't come back for several years. After 1912, I remembered what I'd lost. By the time I remembered, I thought she was dead, but then I met a Gilbert, a Gilbert who was a Traveller and I knew she was still alive. After that, I spent every day trying to learn everything I could about the Travellers. Wasn't easy. They're very secretive. I've been searching for her for so long. I don't think she remembers me though. She acted quite coy and mysterious. How involved was she with my brother?"

"She fell for him, more than she wanted to."

"Which means she's hurt. Elena was always very caring. I'll wait it out, give her time to heal. I won't be any one's second choice. I've lived that life. She'll come to me. She always did. I've waited one hundred sixty five years for her, I can wait a little longer." Damon left the office for the elevator. On another floor, Lexi walked in an elevator, dressed to go home.

"Just when the day was improving," said Stefan from inside.

"You told Elena what happened?"

"I did. What did you tell her?" Stefan asked as the doors to the lift shut.

"That sometimes people do desperate things to attract attention."

"Wow. That's your side of this? That I didn't pay you enough attention. Is that what you were thinking when you got naked with my brother?"

"No, by that point I wasn't thinking at all, Stefan. By that point I was just scratching an itch. We got busy and we got lazy. We didn't even bother to fight any more. And Damon was there and I missed you. And now I'm sorry. I'm more sorry than you can possibly imagine. But at least I'm talking to you about it. It's not my fault he showed up, Stefan."

"I know." The doors opened to a new floor, revealing Damon. Damon stepped in and Stefan and Lexi stepped to the side. "I'm taking the stairs."

"Stefan," Lexi implored.

"I'm a sink with an open drain."

"Oh come on, Stef," Damon moaned. "How come you can forgive her but not me?"

"I didn't forgive her and with you I have no obligation to try!" He walked away and the doors closed.

Meanwhile, Elena was standing outside a suburban house and rang the doorbell, looking sad. A middle-aged man walked up to the door. He peered through the glass in the door and was stunned as he realized who Elena was. He opened the door and Elena stood in front of him, teary-eyed.

"She had an affair," said Elena.

"Yes," Elena's father, Grayson, replied.

"Why didn't you stay and fight for us?"

"I did. I tried."

"Why didn't you try harder? You just left."

"Elena. Is there anything you need? Anything at all?"

"No. I don't need anything from you." Elena wiped her tears and walked away. Later, she was sitting at her usual spot in Rousseau's. Damon walked in and sat next to her.

"This seat taken?" he asked.

"I guess not." He sat down and spoke to Cami.

"Bourbon. Neat." Damon glanced at Elena. "You look sad."

"I just saw my father for the first time in forty years," said Elena before Cami laid the drink down in front of Damon.

"How'd that go?"

"Could've gone better." Damon knew he should wait before making a move on Elena, like he'd planned, but she looked so sad. It was heartbreaking.

"What have you heard about me, exactly…from my brother?"

"Mostly things that involve the words dirty and bad."

"Right. I guess there really is no starting over, is there?"

"I don't care what your brother thinks anymore, Damon. Liar, remember?"

"Good to know."

"God, I don't even know what I want anymore," Elena sighed.

"Sure you do. You want what everyone wants."

"And what's that?" Damon stroked Elena's cheek with his hand, not able to help himself from feeling her soft skin.

"You want a love that consumes you, you want passion and adventure and even a little danger. And I want you to get everything you're looking for." Entranced by him, Elena kissed him. They both sighed into the kiss. When they parted, Damon could feel that she wanted him. "How about we get out of here and I make you forget everything about Stefan and Lexi and how crappy your life is right now?"

"I think I'd like that."

* * *

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	5. They

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything! Note: This is a mixture of storylines from Vampire Diaries and Grey's Anatomy. **

* * *

Clothes scattered across the floor of a large townhouse, Elena roused from the floor when her cellphone rang.

"Your boyfriend again?" Damon asked groggily, lying naked next to Elena. He pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder.

"I told you. Your brother is no longer my boyfriend." Elena got up and began to get dressed.

"I believe this is yours," he said, lifting up her black bra.

"Oh, this is humiliating on so many levels," Elena groaned with regret. This was so not how she wanted her reunion with Damon to go.

"Oh, come on. We had a good time."

"I just broke up with your brother and we had sex all night. Bad idea. I need to pull myself together before I decide to date anyone else. You have to go."

"Why don't you just come back down here and we'll pick up where we left off." He sent Elena his most seductive smirk.

"As much as I would love to, you have to go. I'm late."

"So, you actually live here?" Damon asked, getting dressed.

"No. Yes. Kind of."

"It's nice. A little dusty. Odd. But it's nice. So how do you kinda live here?"

"It was my mother's house. I'm selling it."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"You said was."

"Oh my mother's not dead. She's…you know what, I'm going to go upstairs and take a shower. And when I get back down here, you won't be here. So…um…bye." She walked back upstairs and Damon sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought. He had forgotten about Elena's guilt complex. Elena closed her eyes when she shut the bathroom door. Last night had been wonderful, but in some ways it had felt wrong. She wanted to be with Damon so badly, but she felt like it was a betrayal of Stefan. Elena knew she had to deal with her break-up with Stefan before she could even think about rekindling her relationship with Damon.

When Elena arrived at work, she posted a flyer on a notice board in the locker room, having changed her mind about selling her mother's house. The flyer read: _Two nice rooms with shared bath available immediately, close to Tulane Medical. Near coffee shop, public transportation, shopping and convenient to almost anything. Non-smokers, please, no pets. All applicants will need to first & last month rent plus a deposit is required to move in._ A few hours later, Elena was interviewing a young blonde female intern in a small waiting area adjacent to some stairs.

"Look I'm sure you're very nice. But I'm very particular about who lives in my house. And you're just not right."

"Why? Look I'm quiet. No loud music. No parties."

"Where were you when the 'Columbia' exploded?"

"The what?"

"The space shuttle. 'Columbia.'"

"Uh. I think I was in kindergarten."

"Exactly. No." Elena left the intern and met Matt and Caroline in a hallway.

"Why do you put up posters for roommates if you don't want roommates?" Caroline asked.

"I do want roommates. We're together 100 hours a week; you want to live together too?"

"My mom irons my scrubs. I have to get out of there," said Matt.

"Matt, I don't think it's a good idea," Elena sighed.

"Look I can put down last, first, and deposits."

"I can cook. And I'm an obsessive cleaner," Caroline added.

"No. I just want two normal strangers who I don't have to talk to or be nice to."

Later in the day, Damon and Alaric were walking down a hallway on the surgical floor when a lanky brunette with short hair stopped to gawk.

"Damon!" Damon turned around to see Rose Adair, a resident in orthopedic surgery.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my favorite English Rose," he smirked.

"Oh my God! I can't believe you're here!" Rose ran up to him and hugged him.

"I assume you two know each other?" Ric asked.

"We've only been best friends for decades," Rose replied.

"It's good to see a friendly face." Across the hall, Lexi spotted Alaric, Rose, and Damon chatting. She noticed Damon's attire was very different from yesterday. He was sporting a doctor's coat.

"Oh my God," she whispered. Stefan looked up from his charting and followed Lexi's view.

"Oh…my…God," Stefan repeated. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Is that…" Matt started.

"McSteamy," Bonnie smirked. Matt then saw a patient on oxygen about to light a cigarette.

"No, Mr. Sullivan! Don't light that!" However, it was too late. The fire caused an explosion, setting the top half of his body on fire.

"Somebody get a fire extinguisher!" Stefan ordered.

"Call a code red!" Meredith yelled. As firefighters took care of the damage, Meredith had moved the patient to a stretcher. Damon wrapped bandages around his burnt face.

"Make sure he has an airway. Sir, can you hear me?" Damon asked.

"No, he's out," said Meredith. "Hit his head. Small hematoma in the occipital region."

"Get him to the burn unit until he's stabilized and get a CT." Meredith paused. "Now!"

"Right away, doctor." Meredith with two other interns wheeled the patient away. Damon then walked toward the staircase to administration with Alaric.

"What kind of idiot lights a cigarette in a hospital," Alaric growled as Stefan walked up to them.

"Apparently people do idiotic things all the time," Stefan replied. Damon, Stefan, and Alaric exchanged a glare and Alaric walked away, going up the stairs. Stefan followed him while Lexi confronted Damon. "Chief. Ric!"

"I thought you were going back to Mystic Falls," said Lexi to Damon.

"I thought it was time for a change."

"You can't do this. You can't be here."

"Sure I can. It was easy."

"He is a liar. And a cheat," Stefan argued with Alaric.

"The man is a damn good neurosurgeon. His department will generate twice the revenue Plastics does."

"Money, is that why he's here? I left Mystic Falls because of him."

"He's your brother."

"Right up until the point where he had sex with my wife."

"We all make mistakes."

"Alaric!"

"Not in the hall, in my office. Both of you." Damon left Lexi and followed Stefan and Ric. Bonnie and Tyler watched through the windows of Alaric's office, seeing a very heated discussion between the two brothers.

"What did he say? Did you hear that?" Tyler asked.

"Did he call him a crack-whore?"

"You call him that."

"Oh shut up. I'm trying to read lips. Stefan's gesturing! Big gesturing!"

"What do you got?" Matt asked, walking up to them.

"Brother versus brother. Battling it out," Tyler replied.

"Oh, it's getting good!" said Bonnie.

"That is not the point!" Stefan yelled from inside Alaric's office. "The point is you wanna get published, Ric!"

"Listen, Stefan. I am out a head of neurosurgery. I need someone good. Now out of friendship to you, I would very much like to say no to this…jackass. But as Chief…"

"Please don't say it."

"He's staying. That's that."

"Round two goes to the jackass," Damon whispered to Stefan before leaving.

Around noon, the interns were having lunch at the cafeteria. Matt sat down and noticed Caroline wasn't eating.

"The shift is a marathon. Not a sprint. Eat," said Matt.

"I can't."

"You should eat something."

"Fell has me on rectal exams. The Nazi hates me."

"The Nazi's a resident. I have attendings hating me."

"Did you guys know Elena is inbred? I just heard from some nurses," said Bonnie.

"Like it's uncommon around here to be a doctor's kid?"

"No royally inbred. Her mother is Miranda Gilbert."

"Shut up. The Miranda Gilbert?" Caroline asked.

"Who's Miranda Gilbert?" Matt asked. Caroline laughed.

"The Gilbert method? Where'd you go to med school, Mexico?" Bonnie asked.

"She was one of the first big chick surgeons and she practically invented the abdominal laparotomy," Caroline added.

"She's a living legend. She won the Harper Avery. Twice!"

"So I didn't know one thing."

"Talk about parental pressure," said Caroline.

"God I would kill to have Miranda Gilbert as a mother. I'd kill to be Miranda Gilbert." Elena then sat down at the table. "All I need is one good case."

"My patient is a pain in the ass. If I hadn't taken the Hippocratic Oath, I'd Kevorkian her with my bare hands." All the interns stared at her in awe. "What?" Dr. Porter then walked into the cafeteria and to their table.

"Good afternoon, interns. It's posted but I thought I'd share the good news personally. As you know the honor of performing first surgery is reserved for the intern that shows the most promise. As I'm running the O.R. today I get to make that choice. Matt Donovan."

"Me?" Matt asked, stunned.

"You'll scrub in for an appendectomy this afternoon. Congratulations. Enjoy." The others turned back to their lunch. Bonnie sent an annoyed glance to a dumbfounded Matt.

"Did he say me?" Matt asked. As Jesse was getting his lunch, Stefan joined him.

"I'm not saying he's a bad doctor," said Stefan, still annoyed that Damon had been hired.

"Of course not."

"I'm saying he's a bad person. The man has no morality. No ethics. The question is do we really want our interns learning from someone like that?" Meredith then interrupted the two.

"We have to talk," she said. "I've seen his file. Matt Donovan barely made the cut to get into this program. He's not your guy."

"Oh, he's my guy alright," said Jesse.

"Every year you pick your guy and every year your guy suffers more than any other intern on the surgical…"

"Terrorize one and the rest fall in line."

"I get it. I respect it. But Matt! Donovan's a puppy." After lunch, Elena returned to her patient and Lexi and Meredith were finishing their meal.

"Never would have figured Damon Salvatore to be your type," Meredith said.

"He's not...he's not! What is he doing here? He's not supposed to be here. I can't have him here. He's supposed to be in Mystic Falls. I can't...I can't function with him here. I'm professional here. People respect me here. But when he's here I'm just...I'm..."

"A woman who gets the hots for man candy and cheats on her husband?"

"That is rude. And unkind, and completely true. What am I going to do?"

"For starters, you can keep your knees closed in his presence."

"Meredith!"

"You asked. And also, you can remember that no man...not Stefan, not Damon, defines who you are."

* * *

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	6. Ready To Rise

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything! Note: This is a mixture of storylines from Vampire Diaries and Grey's Anatomy. **

* * *

Elena quickly approached Meredith when she saw her boss walk onto the surgical floor.

"What?" Meredith asked.

"Katie Bryce's parents have questions. Do you talk to them or do I ask Porter?"

"Ah no, Porter's off the case. Katie belongs to the new attending now. He's over there." Meredith gestured and walked off. Elena turned around and was shocked when she saw Damon. Damon glanced up from his chart and saw Elena. Elena scurried away and Damon followed her into the stairwell.

"Dr. Salvatore," Elena addressed.

"Dr. Salvatore. This morning it was Damon. Now it's Dr. Salvatore."

"Dr. Salvatore, we should pretend it never happened."

"What never happened? You sleeping with me last night? Or you throwing me out this morning? Because both are fond memories I'd like to hold onto," said Damon, amused.

"No. There will be no memories. I'm not the girl in the bar anymore and you're not the guy. This can't exist. You get that, right? I won't be the girl who slept with both of her bosses!"

"You took advantage of me and now you want to forget about it."

"I did not take…"

"I was drunk, vulnerable and good looking and you took advantage."

"Okay, I was the one who was drunk and you are not that good looking."

"Maybe not today. Last night? Last night I was very good looking. I had my black shirt on. My good looking shirt. You took advantage."

"I did not take advantage."

"Want to take advantage again? Say Friday night?"

"No. You're an attending. And I'm your intern." Damon sent her a seductive smirk. "Stop looking at me like that!"

"Like what?"

"Like you've seen me naked."

"Well…"

"Dr. Salvatore! This is inappropriate. Has that ever occurred to you?" Elena quickly walked up the stairs, horrified. She was trying to be a doctor here. She wanted to be with Damon, but she couldn't see how with the situation she was stuck in now. She was going to gain a reputation, one that she didn't want. She quickly left for the OR gallery to observe Matt's appendectomy with the rest of the interns. She heard several interns murmuring amongst themselves.

"He's gonna faint. He's a fainter."

"Nah, code brown. Right in his pants."

"He's all about the flop sweat. He's gonna sweat himself unsterile."

"10 bucks says he messes up the McBurney."

"10 says he cries," Bonnie interjected.

"I'll put 20 on a total meltdown."

"50 says he pulls the whole thing off. That's one of us down there. The first one of us. Where's your loyalty?" Elena asked.

"75 says he can't even I.D the appendix," Bonnie countered.

"I'll take that action," said Caroline. Elena rolled her eyes.

"Okay, Donovan. Let's see what you can do," said Jesse.

"Scalpel," Matt ordered.

"Scalpel," a nurse replied, handing him the tool.

"More pressure. The human flesh is a tough shell. Dig in," Jesse advised. Matt made a deep incision.

"Pick-ups. Clamp. Let's go…I'm there."

"Damn, he got the peritoneum open. I'm out," said one of the interns.

"Told you. He's gonna pull it off," said Elena as Matt removed the appendix successfully.

"Appendix is out," said Matt.

"Not bad."

"Thank you."

"Now all you have to do is invert the stump into the cecum. And simultaneously pull up on the per strings but be careful not to…" Matt broke the strings. "Break them. You ripped the cecum. Got a bleeder. Filling with stool. What do you now?"

"Uh."

"Think. Start the suction and you start digging for those per strings before she bleeds to death. Buckie, give him a clamp."

"BPs dropping," said a nurse."

"He's choking," said Bonnie.

"Come on, Matt," Elena murmured.

"Today! Pull your balls out of your back pocket. Lets go. What are you waiting for? Suction," said Jesse. The heart monitor started beeping rapidly. "Get out of the way. Pansy ass idiot. Get him out of here. Suction. Clamp."

"He's 007," said Tyler to another intern.

"What's 007 mean?" Caroline asked Elena.

"Licensed to kill."

That night in a deserted hallway not in use anymore, Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie were sitting on spare hospital beds which lined the brick walls. Matt was sitting on a wheelchair facing them.

"007. They're calling me 007, aren't they?" Matt asked.

"No one is calling you 007," said Caroline and Elena simultaneously.

"I was on the elevator and Murphy whispered 007."

"Oh how many times do we have to go through this, Matt? Five? Ten? Give me a number. Otherwise I'm gonna hit you," said Bonnie.

"Murphy whispered 007 and everyone laughed."

"He wasn't talking about you," said Caroline.

"Are you sure?"

"Would we lie to you?" Elena asked.

"Yes."

"007 is a state of mind," said Bonnie.

"Oh says the girl who finished first in her class at Stanford," Matt snapped as Elena's pager went off.

"Oh man. It's 911 for Katie Bryce. I gotta go." She ran down the hall.

"Maybe I should've gone into geriatrics. No one minds when you kill an old person," said Matt.

"Surgery is hot. It's the marines. It's macho. It's hostile. It's hardcore. Geriatrics is for freaks who live with their mothers and never have sex," said Bonnie.

"I've gotta get my own place." On the surgical floor, Elena ran through the hall.

"Make a hole!" she yelled. The two doctors standing in the middle of the hall moved to the side. Elena ran into Katie's room and saw nothing was wrong with the girl.

"Took you long enough."

"You're okay? The nurse paged me 911."

"I had to go all exorcist to get her to even pick up the phone."

"Wait. There's nothing wrong with you?" Elena asked, out of breath.

"Been bored."

"You little…I'm not a cruise director!"

"You don't have to wig out. Pageant is supposed to be on cable but this crappy hospital doesn't get the channel. If that cow Kylie Witterson walks off with my crown, I have to see it. Can you call someone?"

"Okay. This is an actual hospital. There are sick people here. Go to sleep and stop wasting my time."

"But I can't sleep. My head's all full."

"That's called thinking. Go with it." Elena walked out of the room and headed toward the post-op ward to get coffee and saw Tyler talking to a nurse.

"4B's got post-op pneumonia. Let's start antibiotics," he said.

"Are you sure that's the right diagnosis?"

"Well I don't know. I'm only an intern. Here's an idea why don't you go spend four years in med school and then let me know if it's the right diagnosis. She's short of breath. She's got fever. She's post-op. Start the antibiotics." The nurse walked off in a huff. "God, I hate nurses."

"She may not have pneumonia you know? She could be splinting or have a PE."

"Like I said I hate nurses," said Tyler.

"What did you just say? Did you just call me a nurse?"

"Ah if the white cap fits." Elena's pager went off.

"Damn it, Katie." Elena walked up the stairway and into the hall. She saw people scrambling around and realized Katie was actually having an emergency. She ran to Katie's room and saw the girl seizing.

"What took you so long?" asked a nurse. "She's having multiple grand mal seizures. Now how do you want to proceed? Dr. Gilbert, are you listening to me? She's got diazepam, two milligrams morazopam. I just gave a second dose. Dr. Gilbert, you need to tell us what you want to do. Dr. Gilbert!"

"Okay she's full on the morazopam?"

"She's had four milligrams."

"You paged Dr. Fell and Dr. Salvatore?"

"The morazopam is not working."

"Phenolbarbitol. Load her with phenolbarbitol." The nurse injected the medicine into Katie's IV.

"Pheno's in. No change."

"You paged Dr. Salvatore?"

"I just told you."

"Well page him again. Stat."

"What do you wanna do? Dr. Gilbert, you need to tell us what you wanna do." The monitor flatlined. "Heart's stopped. Code blue! Code blue!" A nurse brought in a heart shock machine. Elena grabbed the paddles and a nurse put gel on it.

"200."

"Charged. Clear." Elena delivered the shock. "Still V-fib. Nothing."

"300." She administered the shock again. "Come on, Katie." She performed manual CPR. "Charge again!" The nurses charged again and Elena shocked Katie. Her heart started beating again. "Anything?"

"I see sinus rhythm. Blood pressure is coming up. Rate's coming back."

"What the hell happened?" Damon asked, running in.

"She had a seizure and her heart stopped," said Elena.

"A seizure? You were supposed to be monitoring her!"

"I checked on her."

"I got her. Just, just go." Elena walked out, dejected. She met Meredith in the hall.

"You get a 911, you page me immediately! Not in the five minutes it takes you to get to the emergency. Immediately! You're on my team and if somebody dies it's my ass, you hear me! Gilbert!" Elena walked past Meredith without saying a word. Bonnie saw her friend heading for the exit.

"Elena?" Bonnie ran after her and saw Elena walked out of the hospital in the rain and throw up on the grass. She wiped her mouth and walked back in.

"You tell anyone...ever…"

The following morning, all the interns were gathered in a conference room. Bonnie was stitching into a banana.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked.

"I'm suturing a banana with the vain hope that it wakes up my brain." Matt laughed. "What are you smiling at 007?" Matt glared at her. "I'm sorry. I get mean when I'm tired."

"You know what? I don't care. I got to hang out in the O.R. on my shift. All is well."

"Does anybody know why we're here?" Damon walked in and addressed the interns.

"Well good morning. I'm gonna do something that's pretty rare for a surgeon. I'm gonna ask interns for help. I've got this kid Katie Bryce. Right now she's a mystery. She doesn't respond to our meds, labs are clean, scans are pure but she's having seizures. Grand mal seizures with no visible cause. She's a ticking clock. She's gonna die if I don't make a diagnosis. Which is where you come in. I can't do it alone. I need your extra minds, extra eyes. I need you to play detective. I need you to find out why Katie is having seizures. I know you're tired, you're busy, you got more work than you can possibly handle. I understand. So I'm going to give you an incentive, whoever finds the answer rides with me. If Katie needs surgery, you get to do what no other intern gets to do, scrub in to assist on an advanced procedure. Dr. Fell is going to hand you Katie's chart. The clock is ticking fast, people. If we're going to save Katie's life, we have to do it soon."

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	7. Life Is Short

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything! Note: This is a mixture of storylines from Vampire Diaries and Grey's Anatomy. **

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After Damon's meeting, Elena stopped by the post-op floor and observed Tyler following up on his patients.

"Give the antibiotics time to work," Tyler sighed.

"The antibiotics should've worked by now," the nurse replied.

"She's old. She's friggin' ancient. She's lucky she's still breathing and I got a shot to scrub in downstairs with a patient who wasn't alive during the civil war. Don't page me again." Tyler walked off and Bonnie approached Elena.

"Hey, I want in on Salvatore's surgery. You've been the intern on Katie since the start. You wanna work together?" Bonnie asked. "We find the answer. We have a 50/50 chance of scrubbing in."

"I'll work with you but I don't want in on the surgery. You can have it."

"Are you kidding? It's the biggest opportunity any intern will ever get."

"I don't want to spend any more time with Salvatore then I have to."

"What'd he do to you? I thought you were in love with him."

"If we find the answer the surgery is yours. Do you wanna work together or not?"

"Deal." They walked down to the medical library and began researching. "So she doesn't have anoxia, chronic renal failure, or acidosis. It's not a tumor because her CT's clean. Are you seriously not gonna tell me why you won't work with Salvatore?"

"No. What about infection?"

"No. Ah there's no white count. She has no CT lesions. No fevers. Nothing in her spinal tap. Just tell me."

"You can't comment, make a face, or react in anyway. We had sex the other night."

"What about an aneurysm?"

"No blood on the CT. No headaches."

"Okay. There's no drug use. Ah no pregnancy. No trauma. Was he good? I mean he looks like he would be. Was it any good?"

"We're out of answers. What if no one comes up with anything?"

"You mean what if she dies?"

"Yeah."

"Oh this is gonna sound really bad but I really wanted that surgery."

"She's just never gonna get the chance to turn into a person. The sum total of her existence will be almost winning miss teen whatever. You know what her pageant talent is?"

"They have talent?"

"Rhythmic gymnastics."

"Oh, oh come on," Bonnie laughed.

"What is rhythmic gymnastics? I don't know. I can't even say it. I don't know what it is." Realization then dawned on Elena.

"Isn't it something with like a ball and ah…what?"

"Get up. Come on." Elena and Bonnie ran down the hallway and saw Damon getting on an elevator.

"Oh, oh, Dr. Salvatore. Just one moment, um…Katie competes in beauty pageants," said Bonnie.

"I know that but we have to save her life anyway."

"Okay, she has no headaches, no neck pain, her CTs clean… Ah, there's no medical proof of an aneurysm."

"Right."

"But what if she has an aneurysm anyway?"

"There are no indicators."

"Ah, but she twisted her ankle a few weeks ago when she was practicing for the pageant."

"Okay I'm sure you're trying to help…"

"She fell when she twisted her ankle. She fell," said Elena.

"It was no big deal. Not even a bump on the head. You know she got right back up. Iced her ankle and everything was fine but it was a fall so minor her doctor didn't even think to mention it when I was taking her history. But she did. She did fall," Bonnie added.

"Well you know what the chances are that minor fall can burst into an aneurysm? One in a million! Literally," said Damon as the elevator doors shut. Elena and Bonnie began to walk off, but the doors opened again. "Let's go."

"Where?" Bonnie asked.

"To find out if Katie is one in a million." They performed an angiogram on Katie and Damon noticed something on the screen. "I'll be damned. There it is. It's minute. But it's there. It's a sub-arachnoid hemorrhage. She's bleeding into her brain." They walked out of the lab and on the ground floor near the entrance. "She could've gone throughout her entire life without it ever being a problem. But one tap in the right spot…Now I get to fix it. You two did great work. Love to stay and kiss your asses but I got to tell Katie's parents she's having surgery."

"Ah, Dr. Salvatore you said that you'd pick someone to scrub in if we helped," said Bonnie.

"Oh yes right. Um, I'm sorry I can't take you both. It's gonna be a full house. Elena, I'll see you in O.R." Bonnie looked shocked and upset at Elena. She walked off in a huff.

"Bonnie!" Elena called out. She later found Bonnie sitting on a hospital bed. "I'll tell him I changed my mind."

"You know, don't do me any favors. It's fine."

"Bonnie."

"You know what? You did a cut throat thing. Deal with it. Don't come to me for absolution. You wanna be a shark. Be a shark."

"I'm not. I'm…"

"Oh yes you are. Only it makes you feel bad in all your warm gooey places. You know screw you. I don't get picked for surgeries because I slept with my boss and I didn't get into med school because I have a famous mother! You know some of us have to earn what we get." Elena walked off, upset. She walked into Katie's room and saw Damon shaving Katie's head for surgery. Katie was asleep.

"Promised her I'd make her look cool. Apparently being a bald beauty queen is the worse thing that happened in the history of the world," said Damon. Elena chuckled.

"Did you choose me for the surgery because I slept with you?"

"Yes." Elena glared at him. "I'm kidding."

"I'm not gonna scrub in for surgery. You should ask Bonnie. She really wants it."

"You're Katie's doctor. You helped save her life. You earned the right to follow her case through to the finish. You shouldn't let the fact that we had sex get in the way of you taking your shot." Elena left and met Matt sitting on a window ledge of the hospital outside. They both looked pensive.

"I wish I wanted to be a chef. Or a ski instructor. Or a kindergarten teacher," said Elena.

"You know I would've been a really good postal worker. I'm dependable. You know my parents tell everyone they meet that their son's a surgeon. As if it's a big accomplishment. Superhero or something. If they could see me now."

"When I told my mother that I wanted to go to medical school, she tried to talk me out of it. Said I didn't have what it takes to be a surgeon. That I'd never make it. So the way I see it, superhero sounds pretty damn good."

"We're going to survive this, right?" Elena just smiled and walked back into the hospital. She headed toward the post-op ward and saw Alaric grilling Tyler.

"She's still short of breath. Did you get an ABG or a chest film?" Alaric asked.

"Yes, sir. I did."

"And what did you see?"

"Well, uh, I had a lot of patients last…"

"Name the common causes of post-op fever." Tyler looked through the patient's chart. "From your head. Not from a book. Don't look it up. Learn it. It should be in your head. Name the common causes of post-op fever."

"Uh…"

"Can anybody name the common causes of post-op fever!" Alaric called loudly to the whole ward. Elena spoke up.

"Wind, water, wound, walking, wonder drugs. The 5Ws. Most of the time it's wind, splinting or pneumonia. Pneumonia is easy to assume. Especially if you're too busy to do the tests."

"What do you think is wrong with 4B, Dr. Gilbert?"

"The 4th W, Dr. Saltzman. Walking. I think she's a prime candidate for a pulmonary embolus."

"How would you diagnose?"

"Spiral CT. VQ scan. Provide O2. Dose with heparin and consult for an IVC filter."

"Do exactly as she says," said Alaric to Tyler. "And then tell your resident that I want you off this case." Elena then left for the OR to scrub in. After the surgery, Elena sat in a chair in a hallway, dazed and happy.

"It was a good surgery," said Bonnie, sitting down next to Elena.

"Yeah."

"We don't have to do that thing you know where I say something and then you say something and then somebody cries and there's like a moment…"

"Yeah."

"Good. You should get some sleep. You look like crap."

"I look better than you."

"Oh, it's not possible." Bonnie left and Damon walked through the door.

"That was amazing," Elena said. Damon nodded. "I used to be a nurse. I wanted to do more so I went to med school. You practice on cadavers. You observe. And you think you know what you're gonna feel like standing over that table but…that was such a high. I don't know why anybody does drugs."

"Yeah," Damon smiled.

"Yeah," she smiled back softly.

"I should…go do this…thing."

"You should."

"I'll see you around."

"See you around."

Later on the main floor of the hospital, Damon saw Elena filling out some paperwork at the front desk. Damon noticed Stefan looking at him and then turning around. Damon ran up to his little brother.

"If what happened between me and Lexi is so unforgivable, than how do you justify what happened with you and Elena?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You want me to be the bad guy, fine. But I'm not the only bad guy here, Stefan. You and me...we're the same." Caroline, Matt, and Bonnie then walked up to Elena.

"Okay, fine. Caroline and Matt, you can move into the house," Elena yielded.

"Yes!" they both yelled.

"I can't believe you caved," Bonnie murmured.

"I can't believe I caved," Elena returned. She looked at Damon who was watching her. She sent him a small smile and realized all this time she'd been trying to draw lines, protect herself, but all that really mattered was that she was happy. You can waste your life drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them. She'd take her time with Damon, keep her distance, get over Stefan, and when she was ready, she'd be happy with the man she'd always loved.

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**Please review!**


	8. Evil

**Note: This story relies heavily on Grey's Anatomy plot and dialogue with my own twists interspersed. That is why it says CROSSOVER in the summary. If these kinds of stories aren't your cup of tea, then try out my stories from my CANON collection. I do not own Grey's Anatomy or The Vampire Diaries. No flaming! If you have a particular issue with the story, please PM me!**

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"So let me get this straight," said Bonnie as she and Elena walked down a sidewalk adjacent to the hospital, both holding cups of coffee. "You dated both Stefan and Damon, but had no idea they were brothers? How did that happen? I mean, you've been alive for over a hundred years and you didn't hear any stories, gossip about them? I hear they're infamous in the vampire world."

"You have to understand the Way of the Travellers, Bonnie."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, "I've heard this story a thousand times."

"Well, I'm going to tell it a thousand and one times since you obviously haven't been paying attention. Originating in Greece, the Travellers are a sub-culture of witches and warlocks that have existed for over 2,000 years. Our magic is greatly different from other witches, say those of the French Quarter for instance. Just as there is an order among the vampires, older ruling the younger, there is a similar system for witches. The Travellers rule the Common Witches. Our word is the law of the land. You see, our magic is more pure. While Common Witches draw from nature and the spirits, we draw from the blood, the soul. Our magic pulses through our veins. Some have referred to us as pureblooded witches. A gifted race, our current headquarters is in the highlands of Romania. Due to our penchant for moving around, we have gained the reputation of gypsies. When a Traveller is born, their only ability is to stop the aging process. It's innate; they can control it just by thinking about it. The rest of their magic is sealed until they reach physical and emotional maturity. At that time, the Traveller then undergoes the Awakening, a violent release of the blood seal that can prove to have devastating consequences."

"Yes, yes, I know all this. I went through an Awakening myself."

"Are you going to let me finish my story or not? I haven't even gotten to the best part yet." Bonnie nodded for Elena to continue. "Now within the Travellers, there are several clans. My clan, The Petrova, has always been the most powerful, but with power comes danger. The blood magic can become unstable if the proper precautions are not taken. So after a Petrova goes through The Awakening, they are taken back to Romania and are forced to reside in the Temple of The Ancestors until they have mastered the Power. The temple contains magic which can balance the instability of Petrova blood."

"Wait, forced?" Elena gave Bonnie a sad smile.

"Yes. It was 1864 when my powers awakened. My Awakening took me by surprise. I had lived for so long, hundreds of years. I never thought my seal would break, but it finally did. My Awakening was so strong even the elders residing in Romania could feel it. They sent my parents to come get me. At the time, I was heading toward Mystic Falls to try to find Damon. When I arrived, I heard a story that he had been shot and killed. I wasn't told about Damon having a brother. My despair consumed me and my power grew unstable. My parents then found me, cast a sleep spell on me, and took me to the temple. And there I stayed, isolated, alone. The temple seals from the inside and it doesn't release its inhabitants until balance has been restored. It took me a hundred years to learn control and it was hell. I cried…for days, weeks. I wanted my parents, Damon, anyone to come save me. My only human contact was through a small slot in the door where they'd push in food. It was awful. It was then that I realized the dark side of the Travellers. I mean, what kind of people trap you in a temple for a hundred years? I lost a century of my life to those people. Out of all the Petrovas, I remained in that damn temple the longest. In 1964, I left the temple and the Travellers and I've never looked back. My parents did the same. Of course, I still go around the Common Witches like I'm still a member of the Travellers. No need to upset the balance, what they don't know won't hurt them. After leaving Romania, I traveled a good bit and I avoided every vampire I could."

"Why?"

"Every black aura I saw…it just reminded me of what I'd asked Damon to do, to become a vampire so I wouldn't die and we could be together. It pained me. Every vampire I saw reminded me of him and that he was dead. I purposely distanced myself and avoided vampires at all cost. I didn't want to remember. After many years of traveling the globe, I settled in New Orleans. Marcel of course loves that he has a Traveller among his brood. He uses me to scare the witches. And as you know, I met Stefan a couple months ago…I knew he was a Salvatore so I had a vague suspicion he was of the Mystic Falls' Salvatores. However, I didn't think he was directly related to Damon. You have to understand I had never been to Mystic Falls. My relationship with Damon was in Atlanta. I didn't know any of Damon's family. He didn't talk about it. And when I was with Stefan, we didn't talk about how or when he turned or any of his family either. I never made the connection. I just figured he was some distant relative, that they probably didn't even know each other. I had heard Stefan had some issues in the past with blood so I thought he was new. Was wrong about that and now things are going to be awkward."

"Does Stefan know about you and Damon?"

"No," Elena muttered immediately. "And he's not going to." She sent a pointed look to Bonnie.

"Mum's the word. So…what are you going to do now?"

"Now…I am going to try to get through the day. I want to be with Damon, I do, but I fell in love with Stefan. Stupid. I won't be with someone when I'm still trying to get over my ex. Damon deserves better than that. So, I'm going to get all healed and then maybe Damon and I will have a talk, a most likely long and awkward talk."

"Sounds like a good plan. Hey, how is the roommate situation working for you?"

"Ugh. They're everywhere. All the time. Caroline's all perky and Matt does this thing where he's helpful and considerate. They share food and they say things and they move things, and they breathe. They're like happy."

"Kick 'em out."

"I can't kick them out. They just moved in. I asked them to move in."

"So what, you're just going to repress everything in some deep dark twisted place until one day you snap and kill them?"

"Yep."

"This is why we are friends." The two girls laughed and as they walked into the hospital, Damon emerged from behind the corner, having heard the entire conversation. It finally made sense now. That was why Elena had been playing coy. She was scared and confused and sad. She felt like she'd betrayed him. Damon leaned against the brick wall of the hospital, thinking. If it was time Elena needed, then it was time he would give her. However, that didn't mean he couldn't mess with her a little.

While Elena changed into her scrubs in the locker room, Lexi walked in, eager to have a talk with Dr. Gilbert.

"Dr. Gilbert?" she called.

"Dr. Branson-Salvatore," Elena greeted, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Look, I know I make you uncomfortable."

"You don't…"

"Let me just say this. I don't want someone who doesn't want me, but if there's the slightest chance that he does, I'm not leaving New Orleans. So…"

"I already let him go, Lexi. There's nothing left to say." Elena then walked out of the room.

Meanwhile, in a trauma room in the Pit, Matt and Tyler were treating a patient when Stefan walked by.

"Thick, short neck. That isn't good. It's hard to intubate. You want me to do that?" Tyler asked as Matt inserted a scope in the patient's mouth.

"He's my patient. I'm fine. I just can't see anything yet. Suction."

"Don't break any teeth."

"I know that. Don't you think I know that?"

"Pulse ox down 87 percent."

"Bag him."

"Are you sure you don't want me to do that?"

"No, damn it! Tube." Tyler handed him a tube and Matt inserted it in forcefully. "There. Got it." Tyler listened to the lung.

"You idiot, it's in the esophagus. Don't you know an esophagus from a trachea?"

"Damn it. Anatomy is all messed up in here," Matt cursed before Stefan entered the room.

"Are you trying to kill this patient, Donovan? Maybe we should send you back to practice on mannequins," Stefan chided.

"No, it's just I haven't done this much. But when I have, it's...it's been good. It's just I-I haven't..."

"Let's review the concepts. Never take your eyes away. Always, always know you can follow through," said Stefan as he redid the intubation, placing the tube in the trachea.

"Don't ever follow through on one of my patients, Donovan," Tyler added before leaving with Stefan. Matt looked out the window of the trauma room, frustrated. Great, just great. Another thing to add to his list of screw-ups. Glancing at the clock, Matt hurried with his charting and left for the gallery of the OR. Elena was participating in heart surgery today and he wanted to see how she was doing. He saw Bonnie and Caroline were also in the gallery.

"I wish I could hold a heart," said Matt, sitting down.

"A monkey could hold a heart," Bonnie snapped, a bit jealous that Elena was the first one of the interns to get a chance at open-heart surgery.

"You're mad Porter didn't ask you."

"Please," Bonnie snorted. Down in the OR, Elena was holding the heart and exhausted from the week's events, dozed off for a second. Her hand squeezed the heart she was holding before she came back to full consciousness.

"What was that, Dr. Gilbert?" Jesse asked.

"Sorry. It slipped. My hands."

"It's okay. I'm done. You can release Mrs. Patterson's heart now. Very gently." Elena let the heart slip back into the cavity. "All right. Let's warm her up. Get her off bypass." Suddenly, a monitor began beeping rapidly.

"Are the grafts…" One doctor began.

"They're open," Jesse replied. "Temperature."

"She's at 96 and rising." Jesse started manually pumping the heart with his hand.

"She should be doing this on her own." A flat line occurred on the monitor. "C'mon, Mrs. Patterson. Paddles."

"Sats are below 90." A nurse handed Jesse a set of paddles. "Charge?"

"10 joules," Jesse ordered as he placed the paddles on the heart. "Clear." A shock ran through the heart. "C'mon, Mrs. Patterson. Give me 20."

"Charged." Another shock and the heart came to life.

"There, we have rhythm. Reluctant heart. All right. Let's close. Keep an eye on her. Good work, everyone." Elena turned from the table, concerned, as she noticed her fingernail had cut through her glove. After scrubbing out, Damon was looking over a chart when he ran into Matt and Elena.

"Hey, I hear you did a CABG with Porter," he said.

"Yeah," Elena replied.

"Did you hold the heart?"

"Yeah."

"It's an amazing feeling. You never forget your first time."

"It was pretty great just to watch. Vicarious thrills, you know?" Matt interjected as he pressed a button for the elevator. It opened and Matt and Elena walked in. Damon could tell Elena was off. Something was wrong.

"See you later."

"Bye," Elena returned as the doors closed. Matt pulled out something to read in the elevator and leaned against the wall. Elena stood with her arms crossed, facing the door. "I think maybe I did something to the heart when I was holding it. I nodded off a little. Squeezed it."

"Oh, the heart's a tough muscle. It could take a squeeze or two."

"My fingernail popped the glove. Cut straight through. Matt, what if I punctured Mrs. Patterson's heart?"

"If you had punctured it, you would have known when they reperfused. They got her heart beating. The woman's okay."

"So I shouldn't tell Porter?"

"Tell him what? Nothing happened. The woman's okay, right?"

"She's okay," Elena hesitated.

"She's fine. You've got nothing to worry about."

"Yeah," Elena returned, not so sure Matt was right. There was plenty to be worried about.

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	9. I Fought The Angels

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

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"What do you see, Matt?" Meredith asked the intern as she and Alaric looked at some x-ray films in a dark room.

"Hyper-inflated lungs, clouded with bullae, seriously diminished capacity. She must be having trouble breathing," Matt replied, seeing the patient in question sitting in a wheelchair in the hallway.

"Course of action?"

"A bullectomy procedure. Remove the bullae, reduce the pressure."

"Says here we operated on her back in '99," said Alaric, looking through the chart. "So Mrs. Drake has been through this before, but talk her through it anyway. And resist the anti-smoking lecture, she feels bad enough already." Alaric left and Matt walked closer to Meredith who was still examining the x-rays.

"So you think if they put pictures of these on a pack of cigarettes people would stop smoking?" Meredith shot him a look and shook her head slightly. Matt looked awkwardly away. In another hospital room on the floor, Tyler walked in, Damon behind him.

"How long has your back been hurting you, Mr. Frost?" Tyler asked the large man lying in bed.

"It's chronic. That means I have it all the time."

"I know what 'chronic' means. What kind of pain are you having?"

"The pain's bad. It's like a thousand samurai warriors stabbing swords into my spine. I'm allergic to aspirin, most NSAIDs."

"So maybe we'll start you on morphine."

"The only things that will work are Demerol or, uh, Dilaudid, a ton of Dilaudid. That will set me straight." Damon and Tyler looked at each other and then noticed the man's arm had lots of scars from needles. Damon rolled his eyes. Great, just what he needed. A drug addict.

"The standard starting dose is two," Tyler snapped. Damon immediately picked up on the hostility.

"Dr. Lockwood, can I have a word?" Damon asked, nodding for the hallway. Tyler left the room. "We'll just be one moment, sir." Damon walked into the hallway and shut the door.

"Exaggerated and overly specific description of his pain, self prescription. He's a Dilaudid junkie."

"So what do you do?" Damon asked, curious as to how the young man would deal with an addict.

"Well, you check the database for history, refer to a program, discharge."

"After you give him something."

"That's exactly what he wants."

"Listen, I don't like it either. My brother was an addict himself and I was the one who had to pull him out of the hole. I know one when I see one, but, junkie or not, you still have to treat his pain as if it were real." Damon's pager then beeped.

"Why?" Tyler argued.

"Best practice. It's the first rule of pain management. Always err on the side of caution. He's in our care. He says he's in pain. Start a central line. His veins are shot." Damon handed an incredulous Tyler the chart and walked off.

After attending to another patient, Damon saw Elena sitting in a chair at the nurse's station on the phone, the conversation obviously heated. Damon stood to the side and listened as he charted.

"No, Marcel! I'm not going," she hissed. "No one will miss me if I'm not there. Why? Well, here's why? I don't like being shown around like your prized pony! Now quit calling me at work!" She slammed down the phone.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of their grimoire," Damon chuckled. Elena sent him a withering glare.

"I burnt my grimoire."

"You're a bad liar." Elena sighed.

"You're right. I am a bad liar. I didn't burn it. I wanted to though. And you're really bad at spying just so you know."

"Ah, that explains the terse conversation in the hallway after the CABG," Damon realized as he leaned against the counter.

"How much did you hear me tell Bonnie?" Elena asked as she leaned back in her chair.

"Only the part about the history of the Travellers," Damon lied. "After that, I started to feel guilty and I don't do guilty. It's weird. Gives me the creeps just thinking about it."

"I don't like eavesdroppers."

"I wasn't eavesdropping. We just happened to be heading the same direction and I have excellent hearing if you know what I mean."

"I always know what you mean. We can't do this. The cute flirtation. You're my boss."

"You suck the fun out of everything. I assume that was Marcel on the end of that fiery conversation."

"You're such an eavesdropper."

"I like living vicariously through you. It's fun. You do know what fun is, right? It's something that brings mirth and amusement."

"I know what fun is. I don't need a definition, Dr. Salvatore."

"Come on. It's the Night of the Comet. This party is rare. It only happens once every hundred years. Marcel throws the best events. What's so bad about going to a party hosted by the King of the Quarter?"

"Fine. I'll unload on you. Can you deal with that?"

"Sure. Bring it."

"Ever since I moved to this town several decades ago, Marcel treats me like he owns me. If I go without a date to this party, he'll want to show me off to everyone. And as you well know, I dumped my boyfriend, your brother, because he's an ass."

"So you need a date so Marcel will leave you alone?" Damon asked, a smirk on his face.

"No. No. No, Damon!"

"Come on! You're so mean."

"I'm not going to be your plus one. Have Dr. Adair go with you."

"Rose is no fun when she's drunk. She gets all weepy."

"What about Sage, Dr. Charbonneau?"

"Too much for me. She's always happy, all the time. It's creepy. Come on. It'll be like a date."

"No, not like a date."

"Fine. We'll go as friends."

"Do you even know what that means?"

"Yes. I can be friends with a girl without sleeping with her."

"You slept with me," Elena whispered, not wanting anyone to hear.

"Alright, I'll set the rules. No getting you drunk, no lingering looks or kisses whatsoever."

"No hand holding?"

"No hand holding."

"Fine. Pick me up at 8." Elena took her charts and left the room, a little excited for the night's events. Meanwhile, Matt was in Mrs. Drake's room, talking to her about the surgery.

"The surgery before was supposed to help, but it—it never felt right," said the woman. She took off her glasses and handed them to Matt.

"Probably a good idea to quit smoking."

"I did! Four pack a day habit. Oh, it was hell. It didn't do any damn good."

"Really? Because it looked, I mean, from the damage, we all thought you probably were still smoking."

"Cold turkey. Five years ago. What do I get for my trouble? I still had to quit my job at the restaurant. But even sitting, it hurt. Nobody believed me. They all said it was in my head."

"I've seen the films. It's not all in your head."

"You're right about that. Hey, come here." Matt moved closer to the bed. "You're too damn young to be a doctor."

"Hey, I'm older than I look." Matt and a nurse began to wheel her toward the OR.

"Do you think this is going to work this time?" she smiled.

"I think it's your best option."

"Straight-shooter, huh?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I like that."

Down in post-op, Elena approached Mrs. Patterson's bed. Mr. Patterson watched over his wife.

"Hi, Mr. Patterson," Elena greeted.

"Hi."

"Hemodynamics stable?" Elena asked a nurse for her chart.

"Yeah, map has stayed around 80, cardiac output at 5."

"That's good, Dr. Gilbert?" Mr. Patterson asked.

"That's fine, Mr. Patterson."

"But it's not good."

"Well, heart surgery takes a lot out of the patient, but we're monitoring your wife very carefully and she should be fine."

By the nurses' station, Bonnie was charting when Jesse walked by her and placed a cup of coffee beside her. She looked at the coffee and then at Jesse.

"It's just coffee," he smiled to a very confused Bonnie.

"Good."

"Okay."

"Okay." Jesse nodded and walked away. Bonnie closed her chart, picked up the coffee, and drank it. Jesse peeked around the corner to see her take a sip and smiled as he watched her walk away.

In surgery, Alaric was manipulating a scope in Mrs. Drake while Meredith explained the procedure to Matt. Damon observed from the gallery.

"We call this a spaghetti procedure. We cut and deflate the bullae to facilitate gentle manipulation of Mrs. Drake's lung," she said. Alaric then noticed something black on the video monitor.

"Dr. Fell, do you see that?" he asked.

"Oh my God."

"We need to open her up. I'm taking out the scope."

"You heard him, people. Let's move."

"Lights. Let's get set up. 10 blade. Get the scalpel ready. Towel. Rib spreader. Suction." After making an incision, Alaric then found what he was looking for. He pulled out a bloody, black cloth from Mrs. Drake.

"You've got to be kidding me," Damon muttered.

"Is that…a towel?" Matt asked.

"Yeah," Meredith sighed.

"Where did that come from?"

"Best guess, her surgery five years ago," Alaric replied.

"Somethin' careless this way comes," Meredith warned.

"Alright, let's finish this up quickly," said Alaric. He squinted as his vision grew blurry. "What's with these damn lights?" Meredith readjusted the light above Alaric. "Give me a retractor, please." A nurse handed him the tool, but he dropped it.

"Sorry, doctor."

"It wasn't you. Dr. Fell, you can finish this."

"Uh, thank you, Chief. I appreciate the opportunity. I'll just…" Alaric quickly left for the scrub room.

"You dropped a retractor," said a voice. Alaric looked behind him to see Damon and realized his friend wasn't going to let this drop.

"Fine. A few weeks ago, I was operating, and the vision in my right eye became blurry. After a few hours, it was fine. It's come back again."

"Did you have it checked out?"

"The examination was normal. My ophthalmologist tells me I'm just getting older. But you know what a decline in my visual acuity can mean."

"I'll set up some tests."

"Damon, I know how the rumor mill runs around here. Let's just keep this to ourselves."

"No problem."

Later, Meredith had finished the procedure and she walked down a hallway with Alaric, Bonnie, and Matt.

"A towel?" Bonnie asked, shocked.

"Not good," Alaric muttered.

"She complained about pressure on her chest. Said nobody took her seriously," Matt added.

"Not good for the patient, not good for the hospital. Not good," Alaric growled.

"Bonnie, hit the files. Find out everything you can about that initial operation. Who was in that room, who was responsible for closing. Matt, you stay with the patient. Keep her happy. She seems to like you," Meredith ordered.

After Damon finished scheduling Alaric's tests, he walked into Mr. Frost's room and was shocked when he saw the man squirming in pain.

"Mr. Frost?"

"Where the hell have you been!"

"Tyler, I'm going to kill you," Damon growled underneath his breath.

At lunch, Bonnie was sitting at a table with Caroline and Elena, looking over files. She smelled her sandwich and dropped it as Tyler and Matt walked in.

"If that's turkey, can I have some?" Elena asked her.

"It's soggy."

"I coulda gotten that intubation," Matt argued with Tyler. "I am good at intubations."

"Why does everything in a hospital smell like a hospital?" Elena asked, taking a bite of Bonnie's sandwich.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Matt. Everybody makes mistakes," Caroline replied as the two men sat down.

"You know, I'm good at a lot of things."

"You know what, I'm going tell you something," Bonnie interjected. "Matt, you need to get laid. See that nurse over there?" She pointed to a red-head over by the window. "She's single. Go ask her out."

"In case you forgot, I intubated an esophagus this morning."

"I am trying to help you. Go buy her a latte and freshen up your gonads, please." Matt walked over to the woman and Bonnie returned to her research. Caroline then noticed Damon in the doorway to the cafeteria, looking absolutely furious.

"Uh oh. Someone's about to get reamed," Caroline mocked.

"You!" Damon pointed to Tyler. He stormed over to the intern. "When I tell you to start a central line, you start a central line. No judgment, no question."

"The guy's been in seven hospitals in the last four months. He's a major addict," Tyler countered.

"The patient has a three lumbar fusion."

"He's a junkie. I mean we shouldn't be giving him—"

"Yeah! He's an addict. But his pain is real. Now, lose the attitude, get up there, start a central line." Tyler hesitated. "Now!" Tyler quickly scurried off. Damon then left, muttering a string of Italian curses. Elena chuckled.

"He speaks Italian?" Bonnie asked.

"Salvatore. Hello?" Elena replied matter-of-factly.

"Hmm, talk about hot and bothered. What'd he say?" Bonnie asked Elena.

"I don't think you want me to translate. It's a little too dirty for your virgin ears."

"Hey, I'm no virgin."

"Don't I know it," Elena replied before walking away to throw her lunch in the trash.

After getting a date with the nurse, Aimee, Matt went up to check on Mrs. Drake in post-op.

"Told me I had a towel inside me," she said with difficulty.

"Who told you that?"

"A surgeon, uh, older man. Handsome."

"That's Dr. Saltzman. He's our Chief."

"It was a towel that somebody left last time."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Who would do that?" she asked, her voice breaking. "That doesn't seem right, does it?"

"No, ma'am, no. It doesn't."

"I was walking around with a towel inside of me. How could that happen?"

In the cafeteria, Bonnie finally found the file she was looking for. It just happened to be the one at the bottom of the pile she'd collected. Of course. She looked through the chart and saw that Jesse Porter was the surgical fellow in the OR for Mrs. Drake's operation in 1999.

"Oh, crap," she groaned. She left the cafeteria and showed the documentation to Meredith. "So, what happens now?"

"Now, you keep this to yourself while we work it out. Do this for me." Bonnie nodded. At a nurses' station, Elena was going through her post-op notes when Stefan walked up to her.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Fine," she replied tersely.

"You sure? Cause you seem not okay."

"I'm fine. My CAGB was long."

"Well, let me take you out to dinner tonight. You can tell me all about it. Real food, waiters, big chunks of carbs in a basket." Elena let out a sigh, annoyed by Stefan's persistence.

"You've got a wife," she replied.

"Yes."

"Your life is complicated."

"Yes."

"I don't need complicated. I have complicated all on my own."

"Yes."

"Stop saying yes."

"Try not to make any sudden movements," he smiled.

"You think this is funny?"

"Elena." He moved in to stroke her cheek, but suddenly Lexi appeared.

"Well isn't this cozy. Can I join in or are you not into threesomes?" she asked as Elena's beeper went off.

"I have to go," Elena replied before she walked off.

"Elena!" Growling, Stefan turned to his wife. "You are Satan. You realize that right? If Satan were to take physical form he'd be you, everywhere all the time."

"I am so not Satan."

"How come you haven't got on your broomstick and gone back to Mystic Falls where you belong?"

"Stop being petty."

"Stop being an adulteress bitch."

* * *

**Please review!**


	10. Edge of the Ocean

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

"What happened?" Elena asked as she ran toward Mrs. Patterson in the post-op wing.

"Started having some swelling over the sternum and then the blood just started gushing. Dr. Porter is on his way right now."

"Is she dying?" Mr. Patterson asked.

"Somebody get him out of here. Keep applying pressure," Elena ordered.

"Aimee, call for an O.R. What the hell happened? She got her protamine?" Jesse asked, rushing up to the bed.

"Per protocol. No allergic, anaphylactic, or histamine responses," Elena replied.

"Her last counts?"

"B.T., P.T.T., I.N.R. platelet counts were all stable. Even her H.N.H. were stable."

"What the hell went wrong? Let's move."

"I popped a glove."

"What?"

"In surgery, when I was holding it. I popped a glove with my fingernail. I think I may have nicked her heart."

"Let's go, people." Mr. Patterson looked on as they wheeled his wife away. In the OR, Jesse raked Elena over the coals. "What were you thinking! You had every opportunity to speak up before I closed her chest. Every opportunity. Suction," Jesse ordered as Elena stood by the wall of the room.

"I'm sorry."

"And then you go and confess in front of her husband? You don't even know if you were the cause. You have no idea."

"I'm sorry."

"Come here." Elena walked closer to the table. "There, look at the wall rupture. That's a hell of a lot more than a fingernail. Her ventricular walls are weak." Alaric then walked in.

"I just had a conversation with Mr. Patterson. I want copies of his wife's chart in my office by 3:00. At 5, the two of you are going to meet with me and legal and you better damn well be able to explain what happened here." He left and began muttering to himself, "People poking holes in hearts, leaving towels in people." When he entered the hallway, he saw Damon in front of him. He jumped a bit. "You have got to quit doing that!"

"Sorry. Old habits die hard. I've cleared some time for your MRI."

"Good. Let's get going." Back in the OR, Jesse began to finish up his surgery.

"You're going to go back and talk to the husband. Review the history. Apologize. Profusely. Your ass is on the line here, Dr. Gilbert," Jesse ordered. Elena left the OR and began looking through the patient's history. Bonnie and Matt joined her in the hallway.

"You got called in from the Chief?" Matt asked.

"In a couple of hours. I could get kicked out of the program. I could, right?" Elena asked.

"You're not going to get kicked out," Matt replied.

"Patterson's just going to sue," Bonnie added.

"Patterson is not going to sue and you're not getting kicked out."

"What the hell were you thinking? Telling Porter. So stupid."

"I told her not to."

"Thank you. Very comforting," Elena snapped before walking away with the patient's chart.

After finishing up the MRI, Damon pulled Alaric into the viewing room.

"You see that right there?" Damon asked. "It's a tumor, and it's pressing against your optic nerve."

"Is it operable?"

"Oh, definitely. It does have its risks."

"You mean I could lose my sight? Just what I need, towels in patients, popped gloves, and a tumor. All right, Damon, lets see how good you really are."

"All right. I'll put a team together."

"All my people only. And I still want this kept under wraps. The vultures will be circling soon enough."

"Aren't I one of the vultures?"

"Why do you think I want to keep an eye on you? Get going. We're doing this tomorrow."

"Right."

A few minutes later, Damon turned a corner and ran into Elena.

"I heard about the heart. Want to talk about it?"

"We're adults." Damon raised a brow. "When did that happen? And how do we make it stop?" She walked away. When Jesse got out of surgery, Bonnie was putting a chart away. She looked at him awkwardly.

"Dr. Bennett," he greeted.

"Dr. Porter. That bypass graft got a little complicated."

"It's nothing I couldn't handle."

"Good," she replied before walking away. Outside the hospital, Mr. Patterson was on his cellphone when Elena walked toward him. He hung up.

"That was my lawyer. He was advising me not to talk to you."

"Mr. Patterson, I know that you're frustrated and angry, but I need, we need, some more information about your wife. The walls of her heart are abnormally thin—"

"Don't blame this on my wife. I heard from your very mouth what happened. I know."

"But we can't treat her."

"She was in the best shape of her life. You ask a cardiologist. She had lost 100 pounds. Don't you dare try to hang this on her!"

"Mr. Patterson, please."

"We're through talking." He left and Elena sighed.

In Mr. Frost's room, Tyler was adjusting the patient's central line.

"You don't like me very much, do you?" Frost asked.

"No, Jerry, it's not you specifically, it's just uh, it's people like you, that's all," Tyler replied as Damon walked in.

"Doc! Feeling pretty good. The pain's about a three," Jerry greeted.

"A three? That's excellent. Mr. Frost, I'm glad we could help you out. As well as County, East Jefferson, Ochsner, a lot of people helped you out, Jerry. Pleased we could do our part. Who's on discharge today, Dr. Lockwood?"

"Caroline Forbes."

"Mr. Frost, Dr. Forbes is going to come in here and discharge you."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you can't discharge me. I'm in pain."

"You _were_ in pain. Now you're not. Dr. Lockwood is going to recommend some wonderful treatment programs for you. Go home. Get some help."

"You can't just do that."

"I just did," Damon smirked before leaving. Tyler nodded his head in approval. A few minutes later, Caroline, Tyler, and a nurse were escorting Mr. Frost out of his room in a wheelchair. He squirmed, putting up a fight to stay.

"You can't discharge a man in pain. I'm hurting," said Jerry.

"You're the one making it more difficult. Stop resisting," Caroline snapped.

"Just give me a hit of Demerol. Just give me a hit of Demerol. C'mon."

"The Dilaudid hasn't worn off yet," said Tyler.

"Mr. Frost, you have to leave," Caroline added.

"I'm not leaving! NO!"

"I'm calling Psych," Caroline sighed, fed up with the man's behavior.

"NO! Don't call Psych!" Jerry yelled, getting out of his wheelchair.

"Stop, Jerry. Stop him!" Tyler yelled as the man went after Caroline. However, before he could make another step he tripped and fell, hitting his head on a piece of machinery. Tyler and Caroline rushed over to him.

"Concussion?" Caroline asked as Tyler shined a pen light in his eyes.

"He's blown his left pupil. Page Salvatore. We've gotta get him down to C.T." Half an hour or so, Damon looked at some x-rays.

"That was one hard fall. What do you see?" he asked Caroline and Tyler.

"Subdural bleed," Caroline began.

"With midline shift," Tyler finished.

"We have to evacuate this now. Anywhere else you have to be, Dr. Forbes, or are you in?" Damon asked.

"Brain surgery? Are you kidding me?"

"That's what I thought." A little later, the three of them were operating on Frost. "See it?"

"It's hard to miss," Tyler replied.

"A little more than he bargained for."

"Maybe he's lucky. Maybe this is his way out of the hole."

"The hole? Interesting expression."

"My uncle was into smack pretty heavy. He was a musician. It's tolerated in his line of work, not good for the family at home." After surgery, Caroline joined Matt and Elena in the break room.

"When's your meeting with the chief?" Matt asked.

"An hour. That heart wall shouldn't have torn."

"Anything in the patient history?" Caroline asked.

"Husband says she was in the best shape of her life. She lost 100 pounds last year."

"100 pounds in a year? How's her muscle mass?"

"Caroline, you're brilliant," Elena gasped before running off. Caroline shrugged in recognition. When Elena entered the meeting with Alaric, Jesse, and Legal, she explained her theory.

"So, I have done a lot of research on this and Dr. Porter has been kind enough to help me. And I understand my responsibility, and what I've done wrong here. However, I do think the patient's history is significant in this case. She still weighs 200 pounds, which is why no one even noticed it, but with that kind of a weight drop, it doesn't matter how much you weigh, technically, you're anorexic."

"So, along with all that fat, she was losing muscle, heart muscle," Jesse added.

"That certainly could be a reason for a small poke to become a large tear," Alaric agreed.

"That still doesn't change the fact that the small poke wasn't reported by Dr. Gilbert at the time of the occurrence," said a lawyer.

"And if I could change that…"

"And you can't. You've left yourself and the hospital open to a tremendous amount of liability."

"No, not if the patient's weight loss caused the problem," said Jesse.

"I'm sorry. I have no choice here."

"I've spoken to the husband. And I believe as long as his wife remains stable—"

"I can't take your beliefs to the bank, Dr. Porter. Dr. Gilbert made a huge error."

"And she reported it."

"Too late. And in front of the patient's husband."

"But she reported it. She spoke up. Five years ago, as a CT fellow, I had a nagging feeling that I didn't check the body cavity of a lung patient closely enough before I closed. The patient seemed fine post-op and I was in a hurry. And today, you and Dr. Fell pulled a towel out from under that patient's lung. Why didn't I report it at the appropriate time? Maybe because I was afraid that I would be called into a meeting where some hospital lawyer's fear of liability could end my career. Even great doctors make mistakes. And when we do, we've got to have a chance to be able to speak up without fear of retribution. Or everyone suffers. Dr. Gilbert spoke up."

When Elena left the meeting, she was intercepted by Damon.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. One month probation."

"Good. That's good. Hey, I need a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"I need you to help me out on something for the chief. Can you keep a secret?"

"Better than you think."

"Come with me." He walked away with her and Meredith saw Matt, Caroline, and Bonnie watching them.

"Don't you all have something better to do? C'mon people, move!" Meredith yelled from down the hall. The three interns hurried away, but Meredith pulled Bonnie aside. "He was always gonna tell them about the towel. Just wanted to wait for the right time. Information is power." Meredith walked off. Bonnie looked in Jesse's direction, seeing him shaking Alaric's hand. Jesse turned around and saw Bonnie. She smiled and ran in the opposite direction to get back to work.

Later, in the on-call room, Jesse was taking off his shoes and shirt when Bonnie walked in. She locked the door behind her.

"Thanks for the coffee." Jesse walked over kissed her passionately.

Around eight o'clock, Elena snuck out of her house and met Damon by his Camaro.

"Now how did you know black is my favorite color?" he asked, taking in her black dress.

"I had a feeling," Elena smiled. They then left for the Abattoir where Marcel's party was in full swing.

"If it isn't my two favorite people! Damon Salvatore and Elena the Traveller!" Marcel called, walking over to them.

"Oh God, I need a drink." Elena immediately headed for the bar.

"What's her problem?"

"Stressful day at work. Just…lay off on the theatrics tonight, would ya?"

"I need to talk to you two about something."

"Later. Let her relax a bit." Marcel nodded in approval and left to see to his other guests. Damon joined Elena by the bar.

"You knew her, right?" Elena asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"Huh?"

"Katherine."

"Yeah. She turned me…and Stefan."

"Oh." Damon grimaced. Stefan was still a sore subject. Why did he have to say that?

"I'm sorry about Stefan. He's a dick."

"It's not your fault. It's me. Should have known better. Travellers and vampires…they don't exactly mix. I'm not even mad about breaking up with him."

"Really?"

"I'm mad that I keep feeling like this. Guilty."

"For what?"

"I wasn't supposed to fall in love with Stefan. But I did. I betrayed him. You see, I was in love with this other guy a hundred years ago, but…I lost him. I lived alone for a hundred years and then I fell in love with another guy. What does that say about me?"

"Says you're human." Elena looked at Damon, surprised. "And I'm sure if this _other guy_ really loved you then he'd want you to be happy and if being with my brother made you happy well…" Damon wanted to tell Elena so badly he remembered, but he held his tongue. She needed more time.

"I'm not taking him back. I don't date liars."

"Good. Neither do I."

"Katherine?" Damon nodded. "What was she like? I've only heard stories."

"Beautiful. A lot like you in that department."

"She's my doppelganger, I know."

"She was also very complicated, selfish, and at times not very kind, but she was very sexy and seductive."

"Did you love her?"

"My relationship with Katherine was…unusual. She compelled me when I was human. I thought I loved her, but…it was all a lie. Katherine's good at manipulating people."

"How did it happen?"

"Mystic Falls is a bit of a strange place. They are quite aware of vampires, even have a secret council that kills them. They're not very effective nowadays though. In the 1800s, they were. There was a round-up of the vampires. Stefan and I went to save Katherine and we were both shot and killed with vampire blood in our system."

"Oh."

"By our father."

"Ooh," Elena grimaced.

"Yeah, doesn't surprise me. He was a bastard. Stefan too. He forced me to complete the transition when I didn't want to. I didn't think I had anything left to live for and he just crammed blood down my throat."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. If I hadn't turned, I wouldn't be here. It's been one hell of a ride."

"What happened to Katherine?"

"For a couple years, I thought she was locked in a tomb underneath the church where all the vampires were placed. I was determined to set her free, but in the 20s I found out the truth. She escaped by seducing a guard and has been running ever since. She abandoned both Stefan and I."

"Sorry."

"She's a bitch. I got over it. Decided I could moan about it and drown in blood or do something productive with my eternity."

"So you became a surgeon."

"I became a surgeon."

"It suits you."

"Thank you. You too." Damon looked up to the balcony and saw Marcel motioning to them. "Come on. I think the King wants a word." Elena groaned. They walked up the steps to Marcel's office and Damon shut the door. "Let's make this quick. Lena's grumpy."

"I almost lost my job today. I think I have the right to be grumpy," Elena shot back.

"There's a bit of a situation," said Marcel.

"There it is. The favor," Elena snapped.

"Just hear him out," Damon replied.

"Fine. What's the situation?"

"Do you remember the Mystic Falls vampires, Elena? The ones I had you move?" Marcel asked. Damon looked between the two confused.

"Yes," Elena sighed.

"To make a long story short, they escaped."

"What!" both Elena and Damon yelled.

"Take me to the seal," Elena sighed. Marcel opened a secret door in his office and the three walked down a series of steps.

"I'm confused. I just told you the story about the tomb vampires," said Damon to Elena. "You knew about them?"

"I didn't ask about the tomb vampires. I asked about Katherine. I was hoping you knew how she escaped."

"You're sneaky."

"There's a reason I've stayed alive this long, Damon. When I arrived in New Orleans, Marcel allowed me to stay on the condition that I helped him take care of the Mystic Falls vampires. He'd received reports from other witches that the seal around the tomb was growing weak. Only my kind of magic could override Emily Bennett's. I broke through the seal and got all the vampires on the first cargo plane that went out at night."

"And then we placed them here. They still needed to be taught a lesson." Marcel motioned to a stone door in the basement of the Abattoir.

"Well, how did they…"

"Shh!" Elena replied as she placed her hand on the stone door. "This is strange, very peculiar. This door is still clouded by Traveller magic. It looks familiar. My magic should have sealed them in here forever. Who did this?" Elena turned from the door and looked around. "Back up." The vampires walked toward the nearest wall. "Da mihi in praeteritum. _(Show me the past.)_" She blew gently into the air and two wispy figure walked down the steps and toward the stone seal. "Well, I'll be damned."

"Who is that?" Damon asked.

"Logan Fell. New vampire," Marcel growled.

"With a Traveller. My uncle."

"John?" Marcel asked.

"Yeah. I knew that Logan guy couldn't be trusted. Such a weasel. John broke my seal. It'd be easy for him. He's much older than me and he knows all my tricks. This is a problem, Marcel. You've got very hungry, angry vampires running around town unchecked."

"Do you know if John's still in town?"

"Get me a map." Marcel walked to a table in the chamber and produced a US map from an old book. He laid it on the floor. Elena took the pendant around her neck and sliced open her hand with it. "Da sanguinem Petrova. _(Show me the blood of the Petrova.)_" Three blood tracks moved around the city of New Orleans while another headed north. "The three here are myself, my mother, and my father. John has fled to North Carolina. He's gone. Probably only stuck around long enough to break the seal." Marcel sent a knowing look to Elena. "No!"

"Come on, please," Marcel pouted.

"Absolutely not. I have enough on my plate as it is. I have a life and I sure as hell don't work for you! I'm not finding these vampires for you!"

"Okay, well, just means you're probably going to get anemic people in the hospital. More work for you. You probably won't have lunch for days." Elena sighed.

"Fine. I hate it when you guilt-trip me. But I don't know what you expect me to do. These vampires aren't blood-linked to me. None of my spells will work."

"I have an idea," said Damon.

"Really?" Marcel asked.

"Don't look so surprised. My family happens to be in possession of a Gilbert Device."

"What? Really?" Elena asked, astounded.

"The Compass."

"No way. I've read about that thing."

"What? I don't understand," said Marcel. "What does it do?"

"It tracks vampires," Elena replied.

"Well, looks like you two are teaming up for a vampire hunting trip. Have fun," Marcel said before leaving. Elena and Damon looked at each other, not sure exactly what they'd gotten themselves into to.

* * *

**Please review!**


	11. Ramalama (Bang Bang)

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

The following morning, Matt was in the bathroom alone, his clothes all over the floor. He was reading a book titled "Rashes, Hives, and Skin Eruptions." He looked down and appeared sick. The doorknob then jiggled.

"Matt. You locked the door. I need to take a shower," Caroline called out.

"Uh, uh, I'll be out in a minute."

"What are you doing in there?"

"It's private."

"Oh! Oh, God! I'm sorry. I get it. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, it's not that!"

"It's okay. Take your time."

"I am not doing what you think I'm doing."

"You know what, there's really no need to explain. I'll wait. You just...finish," she giggled.

"No, I'm...I'm coming. I'm coming out." Matt pulled up his sweatpants and opened the door to face a grinning Caroline.

"There's no reason to be ashamed. It's normal. Healthy, even."

"Well I'm not ashamed cause I wasn't doing anything. I don't have to. I have a girlfriend."

"An imaginary girlfriend?"

"An actual girlfriend."

"You know what? It's no big deal. You don't have to lie. I get it. You have needs." Suddenly, Elena opened up her bedroom door.

"What is going on out here?" she asked, irritated at all the commotion so early in the morning.

"Nothing," Matt shot back. Caroline started to say something, looked at Matt, and then changed her mind.

"Nothing," Caroline half-laughed as Matt began to walk away. "He's freaked out cause I caught him playing with little Jimmy and the twins." Elena laughed along with Caroline.

"I have a girlfriend."

"Okay," Caroline nodded before Matt slammed the door to his room. When Elena arrived at the hospital, she met up with Damon and Meredith.

"How goes out special super secret silent surgery? I've been practicing that," Damon smirked.

"You have too much time on your hands," Meredith replied. "Tell the chief I'll be there. Just let me know when and where. I'm in."

"Are you nervous?" Elena asked Damon as Meredith left.

"It's a complicated surgery. I make one mistake, I end a fellow surgeon's career, my friend's career. Oh, no, I'm not nervous." Elena laughed. "After the surgery, I'm taking a long break to try to find Logan Fell."

"And how are you going to do that? The compass will pick up every vampire in the city including you. You'll need me to go with you."

"I want to use the Compass on the tomb vamps. I thought you could do a locator spell on Logan. I visited his place. His mother was surprisingly accommodating and let me inside. I snagged this." Damon removed a ring from the pocket of his scrubs.

"You mean stole."

"Stole, snagged. Same dif. Will you do the spell or not?"

"Fine," Elena replied, trying to hide her smile. They walked into an empty room.

"Great. Even brought my own map." He produced a diagram of New Orleans from his doctor's coat pocket. Elena laid it across a table and plucked the ring from Damon's hand. She placed the ring in the middle of the map and raised her hand. It began to float in the air.

"Inveni qui prodiderat, anulum habens. _(Find the one who betrayed the king, the possessor of this ring.)_" The ring then shot down to a location on the map. "Hmm. Looks like he's in the warehouse district. Happy hunting. Let me know what you find. I've got rounds. I'll see you in surgery." Elena then left.

On the surgical floor, Matt and Aimee were talking at a desk.

"I had a really good time last night," she said.

"Yeah, me too. Are you, uh, feeling okay and everything?"

"I'm good. Great, now that I got to see you. Why?"

"Oh, no reason. I'm good too, you know? Really good. You know. But, um, a little itchy." Caroline then walked up to them.

"Hi, Matt."

"Hey."

"Aimee," Caroline greeted.

"Hi, Dr. Forbes. I'll see you later."

"Okay. Bye." Aimee walked away. "Yeah. She's into me."

"Way to go, Matt. She's cute. So this morning you really weren't..."

"Anytime you want to apologize..."

"Then what were you doing in the bathroom for so long?"

"I have to go." He walked into the locker room where Tyler was shaving. He checked around to see if anyone else was there. "Um…"

"I know I'm pretty to look at and all, Matt, but back up."

"I need to ask you something."

"I'm waiting."

"I seem to be having this skin thing going on, like a rash, really. And I think I know what it is, but I can't get close enough to tell for sure."

"Let's see it."

"It's kinda located in an, um, you know, private..."

"You're a doctor, Matt. It's called a penis. You have a rash on your penis?"

"I think I can describe it. Um, it's...red."

"Look, just come on. Just show me your junk so we can get this over with." Matt looked around again and pulled down his scrubs. Tyler grimaced.

"So?"

"Dude, you've got syphilis." Tyler left and Matt checked out his rash in the mirror.

Meanwhile, Bonnie and Caroline were examining a new patient, Mr. Franklin, who had a very large stomach.

"Mr. Franklin, how long has your abdomen been like this?" Bonnie asked.

"It's been getting bigger for a while."

"I told him there was something wrong. No one gets fat like this so fast. I told him," said Mrs. Franklin.

"Everybody told him," the Franklin's daughter, Alice, added.

"He has dullness to percussion and spider angiomas," Caroline murmured to Bonnie.

"What's all that mean?" Alice asked.

"It means, we have to admit you father and run some tests," said Bonnie.

"Great! What's that gonna cost us this time?"

"Alice, don't," Mrs. Franklin chastised.

Later, Matt walked up to the lab pickup window.

"Hi, uh, results for Matt Donovan?"

"I don't see it here," said the technician, looking through a series of papers. "What's the patient's name?"

"Donovan, Matt. Look, it's just a simple blood test."

"Here you go." He handed Matt a slip of paper.

"Thank you," Matt returned as Caroline entered and dropped off some blood samples.

"Franklin, Jordan. I need this back ASAP."

"What a shocker," the technician grumbled.

"Hey, Matt. What did you get? Something good?" She grabbed Matt's test results. "Syphilis? That's not surgical. Who has syphilis?" Matt pulled Caroline into the nurse's station and closed all the blinds and the door. "You have syphilis!"

"Shh! I don't know how this happened."

"Of course you do. God, Aimee must really be getting around."

"Aimee's not like that."

"It's a new millennium, Matt. The only people who aren't like that are the Amish and, apparently, you."

"You don't know. Maybe I've been sleeping around. Maybe I got ladies. Shut up. What am I gonna do?"

"It's no biggie, couple doses of Penicillin will knock it out."

"What am I gonna do about Aimee?

"Well, for starters, stop sleeping with her, unless you want that thing to fall off."

"Ok, that is twice that you have trash-talked the girl that I could one day potentially...well, not love but like a whole lot."

"If she gave it to you, you have to tell her."

"Three."

"Fine. She didn't give it to you. She was a virgin when you met. You still have to tell her so she can get tested."

"Oh, yeah? How am I gonna tell her? 'Uh, hey, Aimee. How you doing? By the way, I got the syph. How about you?'"

"Maybe not quite like that."

"No, it's good advice, really good advice. Thank you very much," Matt growled before leaving a smiling Caroline. He joined Tyler in CT where a patient was being scanned.

"I gotta say, Matt, I didn't think you had it in you. It's always the quiet ones. So who's the woman?" Tyler asked.

"None of your business."

"Oh, come on. Who gave you the cooties on the playground?"

"You must have had something like this before, right?"

"I never talk about my penis with other men."

"I don't either, normally."

On the surgical unit, Caroline and Bonnie entered Mr. Franklin's room where the man was accompanied by his devoted wife and antagonistic daughter.

"Mr. Franklin? You have a condition known as ascites," Bonnie began.

"Oh, my God. I knew it was terrible," Mrs. Franklin sighed.

"It just means there's fluid in the peritoneal cavity. The abdomen. And the swelling is pressing against you lungs which is why you're having trouble breathing," Caroline explained.

"In your case, it looks like a symptom of liver disease," Bonnie added.

"And it all comes together," Alice snapped.

"Alice, not now," Mrs. Franklin replied.

"Is there something we should know?"

"I drink a bit," Mr. Franklin admitted.

"That's the understatement of the year," Alice snorted.

"That's enough out of you," her father scolded.

"Hey! I'm only here for Mom, to make sure you don't pull any of your usual crap." Bonnie and Caroline quickly left the room to update Meredith about the situation.

"According to his daughter, Mr. Franklin is a heavy drinker," Caroline began.

"Six to eight drinks a day, an alcoholic by any standard," Bonnie finished.

"Protocol?" Meredith quizzed.

"Schedule a paracentesis," Bonnie replied.

"Reason?

"Uh, draining the fluid will relieve the pressure from the lungs," Caroline answered.

"Good, but don't schedule it. Do it."

"You want us to do the procedure?"

"You've seen one, right?"

"Absolutely," Bonnie interjected.

"Well, now do one." Meredith left.

"I've never seen one," Caroline whispered to Bonnie.

"You're about to," Bonnie smirked.

In the stairwell, Tyler and Matt were walking down the steps when they ran into Aimee.

"Hi, Matt," Aimee greeted.

"Aimee."

"What am I, invisible?" Tyler asked.

"Tyler," she replied tersely.

"You go ahead," said Matt to Tyler. "I'll catch up with you later." Tyler left and the two kissed.

"About time I got you alone today," she said.

"Aimee…"

"What time is your shift done?"

"Aimee…"

"Because mine's over at 8, and I thought maybe you could come over."

"Aimee! I need to tell you something."

"What's wrong? Are you breaking up with me?"

"What? No. Oh, no. Really, no. It's just...Okay, you're the only person that I've been with in a long time. I mean, not unusually long or anything, you know? Just a normal amount of long time. But it wouldn't matter to me if you've been with someone else. Maybe you have? I'm not accusing you of anything or, you know, judging you or handing out scarlet letters or anything, you know? It's...you're a woman, you know? A very attractive woman. Of course you've been with other men. Not that you've been with a lot of men, it's not like you're a prostitute..."

"A prostitute?"

"No! Not a...not a prostitute. What...? No, the opposite of a prostitute, a lady. You're very ladylike. I mean, you're very bendy, but..."

"Matt, breathe."

"Ok. It's just...okay, here's the thing. I really like you, Aimee. I like you a lot."

"Well, I like you too."

"I have syphilis." Aimee looked at him and without saying anything ran out. "That could have gone better." Matt left and joined Tyler in the cafeteria. They passed by Aimee and three other nurses.

"Do you think she's talking about me?"

"She's absolutely talking about you. Dude, that's a good thing."

"No, no it's not."

"Matt, get a clue. Syphilis is the best thing that ever happened to you. In their eyes, you're a player." They sat down at a table with Bonnie and Caroline.

"Hey, syph-boy," Bonnie greeted.

"You told her?" Matt asked Caroline.

"Just Bonnie."

"Syph-boy," Tyler chuckled. "It's got a nice ring to it. It's kinda like Superboy, only diseased."

"Caroline didn't have to say a word. Around here the only thing that spreads faster than disease is gossip," Bonnie replied.

"That's not true. Just cause Caroline can't keep her mouth shut doesn't mean everyone knows," Matt countered as Elena sat at the table with her lunch.

"Hey, Matt. How are you feeling? Sorry about the syphilis."

"Everyone in this hospital knows?"

"Knows you're a player," Tyler argued.

"You're disturbed," Matt muttered.

"True. Everybody's got a secret. Just be glad yours is out in the open."

"Oh, yeah, Tyler? What's yours?" Bonnie asked.

"You show me yours and I'll show you mine. I bet you've got some seriously kinky skeletons in your closet."

"What's in my closet is none of your business."

"Well, I don't have any secrets. My life is boring," Caroline interjected.

"Everybody's got something to hide," Elena argued. Everyone then turned to stare at Elena. Finishing lunch early, Tyler left with Matt to help cure him of his syphilis.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Matt asked in the exam room.

"It's a shot of penicillin, Matt. Be grateful I'm even doing this. I've already seen more of you than I ever wanted to. I'll be fighting nightmares for a week."

"Okay, you know what? Forget this."

"Do you want to get rid of the syph or not? Just shut up and drop 'em." Matt pulled down his pants and bended over a gurney.

"I cannot believe this." Matt's eyes widened in shock when Elena entered the room. "Elena, go away!"

"Oh, Matt. Thought you could use some moral support," she teased.

"NO! No, moral support. I'm indisposed here."

"Matt, it's not a big deal. And you have a cute butt."

"I have a cute butt too. You want to see?" Tyler asked.

"Oh, get out. You're doing it wrong," Elena chided, taking control of the needle.

"Be my guest." Tyler then left.

"What...? Tyler!" Caroline then entered the room. "Hey!"

"What are we doing here?"

"Breaking Matt's spirit," Matt groaned.

"Curing Matt's syph," Elena answered.

"I don't like needles," Matt replied as Elena injected Matt.

"Good thing you became a doctor."

"Caroline?" Bonnie called from the hallway before walking into the room. "Mr. Franklin's procedure's been scheduled for after lunch…oh, what are we doing?"

"We are saving Matt from a future of festering sores and insanity," Caroline replied.

"Oh, cute butt."

"Told ya," Elena whispered to Matt.

"It is cute, like a baby's," Caroline agreed.

"You know, I have spent hours, days, years, imagining myself half-naked in a room with three women. The reality is so much better," Matt replied as he pulled up his drawers and left the room.

"I think he's gonna cry," Bonnie chuckled as the three girls laughed.

* * *

**Please review!**


	12. Infinity

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

"Mr. Franklin, we've given you a local anesthetic, but you might feel some pressure," Bonnie advised as she prepared to perform the procedure on her patient.

"Okay. I'm ready." Bonnie inserted a needle and some tubing into a puncture in the abdomen.

"I'm in the peritoneal cavity."

"That fluid is bloody. Is it supposed to be bloody?" Caroline asked Bonnie.

"You've done this before, right?" Mr. Franklin questioned.

"Of course. Millions of times," Bonnie returned. "We're good. Now all we have to do is wait." A few minutes later, Caroline swapped out the bag of fluid with a new fluid bag. "God, how much fluid can one body hold?"

"Shh! There's a lot of fluid in there, Mr. Franklin, but were almost finished. Mr. Franklin, are you sleeping?" She shook the man and then checked his neck. "He has no pulse."

"What?"

"He has no pulse!" While Caroline started CPR, Bonnie hit a blue button on the wall.

"Code Blue! Code Blue!" The intercom throughout the surgical wing resounded. A code team rushed in a moment later. However, it was too late. He was dead.

"How could he die just like that with no warning?" Bonnie asked Caroline as they left the room.

"There was blood in the tube when it first went in. What if it's our fault? What if we did something wrong?"

"We didn't do anything wrong. We did a textbook procedure." They walked to the nurse's station where Meredith was reviewing the chart.

"I checked the chart. You did everything by the book."

"He died on our watch. We must have missed something," said Caroline.

"You couldn't have known. There was no history of heart problems. His death wasn't your fault."

"When's the autopsy?" Bonnie asked.

"There isn't gonna be an autopsy."

"What? How are we supposed to know the cause of death?"

"It's going down as cardiopulmonary arrest complicated by liver disease."

"But an autopsy would..." Caroline began.

"The family decided they didn't want an autopsy."

"But, Dr. Fell..." Bonnie argued.

"They don't want an autopsy. Let it go." Bonnie and Caroline walked away to talk to the family in the waiting room.

"We know how confusing this must be, your husband dying so suddenly. But an autopsy will tell us why," said Caroline.

"So you think we should do the autopsy?" Mrs. Franklin asked.

"No, we just want this to be over," Alice argued.

"But, don't you want to know for certain what killed him?" Bonnie asked.

"My father was a mean drunk who couldn't hold a job. That's what killed him."

"I understand that you're angry. But knowing for sure might help give you some closure," Caroline replied.

"It was awfully sudden, Alice," Mrs. Franklin murmured.

"Sudden? He's been killing himself for years."

"He was a good man. Maybe...maybe they're right. Maybe we should do the autopsy."

"Mom, stop it. He's dead. It's finally over."

"Alice, your father would have wanted..."

"Who cares what he wanted? Can't we please just try and get out of this with whatever shred of dignity this family has left?" Mrs. Franklin sent a pointed look to Caroline and the two doctors left, meeting Elena in their abandoned hallway hangout.

"You guys want to perform an unauthorized autopsy?" Elena asked, shocked.

"I know you, Bonnie. You do not want to be known as the new 007. An autopsy clears your name," Caroline argued.

"Bonnie, no."

"What about Franklin's wife? You saw the way she was looking at me. She wants the autopsy. She just didn't want to fight with her daughter. She looked so sad." Bonnie looked at her. "Okay, Bonnie Bennett, license to kill."

"Okay, I'm in," Bonnie yielded.

"I am so not involved in this," Elena muttered.

"Elena, this is Fight Club. Nobody talks about it," Bonnie warned.

"Fine."

"We have to do it when Fell's not around."

"Fell's always around. She's everywhere and knows everything," Caroline replied.

"Well, we have to take our chances."

"Fell's got something tonight from 7 to 11. You two will be the last thing she's worried about," Elena interjected.

"How do you know that?" Bonnie asked.

"What kind of something?" Caroline further prodded.

"Oh, I can't tell you that. It's Fight Club too," Elena replied before running off to join Damon and Meredith in Alaric's surgery.

"If I'm missing out on a real patient because of this, they're gonna call me 007 because I've killed you," Bonnie murmured to Caroline.

Once she scrubbed into an OR with a sign reading _Do Not Enter – Closed For Maintenance,_ Elena noticed Ric lying on the table, Damon prepping him for surgery.

"How we doing?" Damon asked his friend.

"Did you lock up the gallery?"

"Don't worry. We're flying under the radar."

"How much cancomycin is there?"

"One gram, as ordered, sir," Meredith answered.

"You're not gonna be too liberal with those benzos, are ya?"

"You know, doctors make the worst patients. You should just breathe in the happy gas. Stop running my OR. I got you covered," Damon replied.

Meanwhile, Bonnie and Caroline were beginning their autopsy on Mr. Franklin.

"We stole a body. We're body snatchers. What if somebody from the morgue comes looking for Franklin?" Caroline asked.

"Well, A, it's in the middle of the night, and, B, the thing about being dead is people stop looking for you."

"Okay." Caroline cleared her throat and prepared to start.

"When's the last time you did an autopsy?"

"I took gross anatomy just like you. I'm just trying to remember."

"You know hold on." She produced a text book from underneath the table.

"You brought a textbook?"

"If we're gonna do this we're gonna do it right." Bonnie started flipping through the pages. "Okay, got it."

"You sure?"

"It's not like we can kill him twice." Bonnie made the first incision.

"Let me cut."

"You'll get your turn."

"You should really be using the ten-blade."

"Will you stop backseat cutting? Go get the saw."

In the OR, Damon had finished up Alaric's surgery.

"Okay, I've sutured the drain in place. The staples look fine. All right, we're done here. Dr. Fell, you want to wrap up?"

"I got it."

"Nice work, everybody. I'm going on break." Damon then left the operating room to clean up.

"Do you think the optic nerve is damaged?" Elena asked Meredith.

"If it is, when he wakes up, he'll..."

"He'll be blind? For how long?"

"Forever. Page Forbes and Bennett. Tell them I want them covering your patients. I need you to stay and monitor the chief."

"Bonnie and Caroline, um...I think they're already swamped."

"With what?"

"Labs. They had to check on some labs."

"Oh, you are lying. I know you're lying. You know how I know? Cause you're a bad liar! I hate a bad liar." She turned to another surgeon. "Take over for me. I know exactly where they are." Meredith immediately left the operating room and found Caroline and Bonnie. "Don't even tell me you're doing what I think you're doing! Not only did you disregard the family's wishes, you broke the law! You could be arrested for assault! Do you like jail? The hospital could be sued! I could lose my license, my job! I like my job! Did you think about any of this before you started cutting open a poor man's body? I could seriously kick both of your asses right now. Do you have anything to say?"

"Look at his heart," said Caroline as she picked up the organ from the overhead scale."

"It's huge!" Meredith gasped, shocked.

"It's over 600 grams, and there's some kind of grainy material in it."

"We want to run some tests," Bonnie added.

"Oh, now you want to run tests?" Meredith replied.

"At this point, what could it hurt?"

"I hate both of you right now." A few hours later, Caroline, Bonnie, and Meredith were in a conference room with Alice and Mrs. Franklin.

"We specifically said no autopsy," said Alice.

"I understand why you're upset," Meredith mediated.

"You understand? We're gonna get an attorney. Come on, Mom."

"We know what killed him. He had a blood condition known as hemachromatosis. The disease causes an excess amount of iron to build up in the body, and that's what caused the heart failure, not the paracentesis," Bonnie interjected.

"But I thought he was always so sick cause of the drinking."

"And you never let him forget it. Or me," Mrs. Franklin grumbled.

"Mom..."

"There's something else. The disease is genetic," said Caroline.

"You think Alice could have it too?" Mrs. Franklin asked.

"A simple blood test will tell us. If you have it, we'll have caught it early enough to treat it before the condition becomes critical."

"Dr. Forbes and Dr. Bennett may have saved your life. If you could just sign this consent form for the autopsy. Just a formality," Meredith replied, placing a piece of paper and pen on the table.

In the locker room, Aimee stopped by to talk to Matt.

"Um, about before..." Matt began.

"Matt, I want you to understand, when we started dating, I was already kind of seeing someone. I didn't know how much I'd like you, and when I realized, I broke it off with the other guy..."

"Other guy? Who's the other guy?" Aimee looked up and Matt turned around to see Tyler standing there.

"You and Tyler? You and Tyler!" Matt attacked Tyler. "You gave me syphilis!" Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline pulled the two men away from each other, breaking up the fight.

Meanwhile at the New Orleans Port, Damon had arrived at the location Elena's spell had indicated. He broke open the lock to the warehouse and walked in. Suddenly, he was shot several times by Logan Fell.

"I have tons of these bullets so nothing funky," said Logan.

"You don't wanna do this. Trust me."

"I know what you are. I've been watching you and your brother. I knew you'd turn up and I'm glad you did because I have some questions."

"Me first. Who turned you?"

"How should I know? I woke up in the ground behind a used car dealership on highway four. Somebody buried me."

"It happens," said Damon as he removed the bullets from his body and healed himself.

"It's not like the welcome wagon was waiting with a Bundt cake and a handbook. It's been a learn as you go process. One minute, I'm a on the rise news guy and next thing I know, I can't get into my house because my foot won't go through the door. So now, I am at the Ramada, watching pay per view all day, eating everything in sight including housekeeping. All I can think about is blood and killing people. I can't stop killing people. I keep killing and I like it. I'm conflicted."

"It could be worse," said Elena, walking in. "You could have been locked in a temple for a hundred years desperate to learn control so you would be released, so you could see your family. That kind of thing could drive a girl mad."

"Elena?" Damon asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you could use the back-up."

"You. You're the Traveller girl," said Logan.

"Yes. You know my uncle, I presume?" Logan fired his gun at Elena, but Elena raised her hand and the bullet stopped mid-air. "No manners." She flung her hand and the bullet landed in Logan's leg. He yelled in pain. Damon nodded, impressed. "Tie him up. He's not going to squeal unless I get in his head." Damon rose from the ground, grabbed a few chains, and tied Logan up. "Now, I could say this isn't going to hurt one bit, but as Damon likes to remind me I'm a bad liar. Once I'm in, I'll be a bit absorbed by the memories."

"He's not going to touch you as long as I'm here," Damon reassured Elena.

"I thought you'd say that." Elena then turned to Logan and placed her hands by his head. Logan struggled to break his bonds, but Damon held him by the shoulders, pinning him. "Aperite portas. Ventis secundis, tene cursum. Memoriam in animum inducas. _(Open the gates. Let it all flow. Bring the memories to my mind.)_" Logan screamed in pain as Elena accessed his memories. Elena's eyes widened in shock and she stopped the spell. "Stake him! Stake him now!"

"What?"

"Now, Damon! Before the spell my uncle cast on him expires!" Quickly, Damon found a piece of wound and threw it into Logan, hitting the vampire in the heart. Elena let out a sigh as Logan greyed. "That was too close."

"What the hell's going on?"

"My uncle John was always a right bastard. He placed a blood destruction spell on Logan."

"I don't speak witch, Elena."

"It's a nasty spell. It's like placing an invisible time bomb around someone's neck. Except the bomb wouldn't just kill Logan. It would kill the vampire who sired him and all the vampires that were sired before him. It kills a sire line, all the way up to the Original vampire that created the line. Although I don't think John used it with that purpose in mind."

"Well, then why would he cast something that dangerous?"

"To send a message. He's taunting me. Trying to make me suffer."

"I don't understand."

"When my powers awakened, I was locked inside the Temple of the Ancestors for a hundred years. After I was released, I refused to be associated with the Travellers any longer. However, you don't just leave the Travellers, not without paying a price. In exchange for my family's freedom, the Travellers wanted me to create a spell for them." Elena sent Damon a pointed look.

"You created a spell that could destroy all vampires!"

"It can only be used once with the help of two other Travellers. It requires too much magic. John can never cast it again."

"That's not the point!"

"I was desperate. I wanted out. You have no idea what they're like, Damon. I lost a century of my life to them. If all I had to do was make a spell for them, then fine. I have no regrets and I have never looked back."

"Why would John cast a one-time spell on a lowlife vampire just to grab your attention?"

"Out of all the Travellers, my magic is the most powerful. For decades, they've tried to get me to come back. At first, it was gifts and pretty words. Now, it's become threats and torture. This…they're trying to remind me of what I created, that I'm just as bad as they are. I'm not going back to Romania. I'll never go back and if I have to play dirty to make them see that point then I will. I found out where the tomb vamps are. Logan took them to a house in the bayou. Let's go." As Elena walked out of the warehouse, Damon noticed the haunted look in her eye. Guilt stabbed him. If only he had remembered, maybe he could have protected her from all the pain she's suffered.

An hour later, they found the house Elena had seen in the memories she'd plucked from Logan's mind.

"Are they there?" Elena asked as Damon used his enhanced hearing to pick up on several voices.

"Oh yeah. House is chock full of them. There's a human too. Crap. I won't be able to get in without an invitation. And they all know me so…"

"Then we try the more violent approach." Elena's eyes grew black and the vampires in the house screamed in pain.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked.

"Vampire migraine. Just to get their attention." Elena's eyes then turned their normal color. "Man! You guys are really young. That was only a level 1 incapacitation spell!"

"What are you doing?" Damon growled.

"Getting them out of the house. Come on! Don't you guys want revenge! I practically fried your brain!"

"You bitch!" one of the vampires yelled as they all exited the house.

"Bring it! I'm sure all of you have wanted to take on a Traveller."

"That's Damon Salvatore! Take them!"

"Do you know what you're doing?" Damon asked.

"Trust me." Three vampires then approached them. "_Incensa._" Fire crawled up the vampires' bodies, consuming them into ash. "Wow. I forgot how easy a vampire's body is vulnerable to fire. What a waste. Who's next?" All the vampires backed up. "No one? Well, I think we can come to a peaceful agreement. I don't particularly like wasting vampires for kicks."

"What do you want?"

"I want you all to leave this place and never come back. I want you to go to Europe, Romania. I want a message sent to the Travellers. Leave me be or I will perform the _animo exitium_ spell on one of their elders. They know I can do it. Now go!" The vampires then disappeared.

"Animo exitium?" Damon asked.

"It's a spell I created that would completely destroy a Traveller's magic. I've used it once before on one of them. Scared the crap out of them. They left me alone for twenty years due to it. I have no problem using it a second time." Elena then became woozy. Damon caught her.

"Whoa. Elena. You're fading fast. Elena!"

"I've used too much magic today. I just need to rest. Take me home, Damon." Elena then fell asleep against Damon's chest. Damon stroked her cheek and kissed her forehead. "Of course, my love." He picked her up and they left the bayou together.

The next morning, Damon was checking on Alaric, still bandaged up from surgery. Damon tried to check Ric's pupils with a penlight, but wasn't having much luck as Alaric kept pushing him away.

"Okay. Stop. That's it," Ric argued.

"That is not it."

"Oh, yes it is. Stop it. That's it."

"That is not it, Ric. Hold still."

"How can I hold still when you're poking me?" Alaric finally stopped squirming and Damon was able to check his eyes.

"I have to poke you to discharge you." Damon put the penlight away and walked to the end of the bed when Stefan walked in. "Hey, little bro." Stefan ignored him. "Right, still not talking to me."

"The chart you wanted," Stefan replied tersely.

"Thank you." Suddenly, a tall red-headed woman walked in.

"What makes you think he wants to be discharged?" asked the woman. Alaric was horrified she was there. "Damon, don't you know that this hospital will crumble unless Ric's here holding up the walls?"

"Jenna, you're supposed to be in the Virgin Islands," said Ric.

"Oh, you are so in five kinds of trouble," Jenna hissed before giving him a kiss on the cheek. "You had brain surgery and didn't tell me?"

"It was just a small procedure," he replied timidly.

"It was brain surgery!"

"I didn't want to ruin your vacation."

"You don't know what a vacation is. How would you know how to ruin it?"

"Well anyway…how did you find…" Ric turned to Damon who had a smirk on his face. "You called my wife?"

"You called Stefan's. I thought it was only fair. Besides, I need to earn some brownie points in the brother department. Look, having someone home with you is the only way I'm letting you out."

"Fine."

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	13. Fix You Up

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

Communication. It's the first thing we really learn in life. Funny thing is once we grow up, learn our words and really start talking: the harder it becomes to know what to say or how to ask for what we really need. A week had passed since Alaric's surgery and the whole aftermath of Elena and Stefan's relationship was the talk of the hospital.

"She didn't even know he was married. I mean his wife just shows up. I heard she flipped out," said one intern in the locker room.

"What'd she expect? She got what she deserved dating an attending."

"Dating Stefan. Have you seen his hair? No guy is that perfect."

"I think it's kinda sad. She has to work here. Him. Them. Everyone knows." Unbeknownst to the interns, Elena had heard the entire conversation from the other side of the lockers.

At the nurse's station, Matt, Bonnie, and Caroline were waiting for Meredith.

"We have to do something," said Matt. "Elena's become like an exhibit. Like a zoo animal, like that rare panda that everyone stares at."

"Please don't say that to her face," said Caroline. "I think that panda died alone." Bonnie chuckled.

"No. I'm just saying that we should do something to cheer her up."

"Don't worry about it."

"It's under control," Bonnie agreed with Caroline.

"What do you guys have going on?"

"Nothing," Bonnie and Caroline replied before walking off. Elena joined them, a funny look on her face.

"Hey, Lena, after rounds we have something to show you," said Bonnie. Elena just kept walking.

"Elena?" Caroline asked. "Elena, can you hear us?"

"She's not deaf."

"Well, she looks weird."

"I don't look weird," Elena finally replied.

"See, she's fine," Bonnie told Caroline. "We have something to show you. So whatever you do, do not get assigned to a surgery this morning." After Meredith arrived, they walked into an elevator, following their boss.

In another elevator, Stefan and Damon were waiting awkwardly for their floor when Ric walked in from the second floor, wearing a fedora.

"Nice hat," Damon chuckled.

"Shut up," Alaric growled.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm going back to work."

"You're not cleared for surgery."

"Leave me alone. I've been sitting at home for a week watching Oprah giving away things on TV. Oprah, Damon! You clear me now or I'll hurt you."

"Damon's practicing brotherly solidarity. If you wanted him to clear you so soon, maybe you should've thought about that before you gave Chief to Porter and invited Satan to Seattle," Stefan muttered. The elevator binged open and Lexi entered.

"Satan?" Alaric asked Stefan.

"Good morning, Alaric. Like the hat," Lexi greeted.

"Satan speaks," Damon grumbled.

"Actually I prefer to be called ruler of all that is evil," Lexi replied. Damon and Alaric laughed. "But I will answer to Satan."

"What is she still doing here?" Stefan asked.

"I asked her to stay. We have a pediatric surgery attending on maternity leave."

"Actually I could use you on a consult. Will you meet me up there, Stefan?" Lexi asked.

"Fine." Husband and wife left the elevator both going separate directions. When the doors closed, Alaric looked at Damon.

"I'm not clearing you for surgery," Damon replied.

"Fine. I can catch up on my paperwork." When Alaric arrived at his office, Lexi was waiting for him. "I thought you were going to OB?"

"I am. After I talk to you. I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Excuse me? No. I'm not accepting your resignation."

"It's not a resignation, Alaric. It's notification. I don't officially work for you. I came here for one case. He calls me Satan, Ric."

"You don't like to hide from a fight."

"It's not a fight. He wins."

"Listen, don't stay for him, Lexi. Stay for yourself. If you stay, Tulane Medical will become one of the foremost neonatal hospitals in the South due to your expertise and the money I'm willing to put behind you."

"You're serious."

"I'm ready to put my money where my mouth is. Now, go back to work, Lexi." Lexi sent him a stern look and then left.

In a stairwell, Bonnie and Caroline were dragging Elena down the steps.

"What is going on?" she asked.

"We found a case," Caroline answered.

"You stole a case."

"Borrowed from Psych. Okay, the prelims on this thing are totally unprecedented," said Bonnie.

"And we found it," Caroline added.

"Stole it," Elena reminded.

"Found. Stole. Hijacked. Whatever," Bonnie scoffed as they walked into a new hallway and outside a patient's room. "Okay, Elena, behind this door is the coolest medical mystery I've ever seen. Now you can either walk away guilt free or walk through this door, risk your place in the program which could possibly lead to spending the rest of your life flipping burgers and serving fries." Elena sent her a withering look. "So are you in?"

"Hell yeah." Caroline knocked on the door and they entered.

"Mr. Herman," Bonnie called.

"Oh no. Please call me Michael. I gotta hit the can again. Seems like I gotta go every thirty seconds these days."

"It's just a guy," Elena whispered only seeing the back of the man.

"Wait for it," Bonnie replied.

"I sure am glad to be off that psych floor."

"What's so special?" Elena asked.

"Wait for it." Michael had a hard time standing up from the bed, but when he started walking toward them, Elena's eyes widened in realization. Michael had a very swollen, pregnant like stomach.

"I'm not nuts. I'm just pregnant." After going to the bathroom, Caroline and Bonnie helped Michael back into bed. "I'm fine and then last month, huge belly. My doctor just kept telling me I was gaining weight with my wife. She's due on the 30th. It's her first."

"Congratulations," Elena replied as Caroline and Bonnie started checking out his stomach, prodding it and placing a stethoscope to it.

"The admitting intern shipped him off to Psych. Barely did a physical," Bonnie said. "It's not fluid. There's something in there."

"Yeah, no joke there's something in there," Michael replied. "I've been able to feel it getting bigger and bigger, growing in my…you know…my womb." The girls shared a look. "Yeah I know I sound crazy. I do…but I can prove it." Debbie, a middle-aged nurse then came into the room.

"This room is supposed to be unoccupied. Whose patient is this?"

"Hers," said Caroline and Bonnie as they pointed to each other. Michael looked up at Elena, confused.

"Who transferred him? I don't have any paperwork, any transfer documents."

"Give me a break. We shuffle rooms all the time. You know if we need a bed pan changed, we'll let you know," Bonnie replied before shooing the nurse out of the room."

"Okay, doctor. You do that," Nurse Debbie grumbled as she left.

"Okay where's his chart?" Elena asked. Bonnie and Caroline looked at each other. "Don't tell me you don't have his chart. You steal a patient and you don't take the chart."

"That was your job," Bonnie growled to Caroline.

"I was on lookout." They left Mr. Herman's room for the Psych office. An Indian psych intern, Raj, was sitting behind a desk looking through some files. Elena came to the window and knocked on it. Confused, he opened the window.

"How you doing? You good?" Elena asked. Raj was thoroughly confused. Behind at the same time at the doorway, Caroline and Bonnie were attempting to steal Michael's patient chart. "You look good. Come on. We're friends."

"What's my name?" Elena looked to his name badge, but he covered it quickly with his hand.

"Um. Alright. So I don't know your name." He turned around suspiciously but Caroline and Bonnie ducked out of view. "It's not like we can't talk." Raj turned back to face Elena. "You don't have to be a surgeon for me to talk to you, you know."

"Really?" Raj asked sarcastically.

"Really."

"Cause I thought you only talk to attendings." Bonnie then grabbed the chart and ran out while Raj closed the window in front of Elena's face. Seeing her friends' success, Elena walked away. Once they were in the elevator, they looked over Michael's chart excitedly. After they left the elevator, they ran into Stefan.

"Hi. Elena, I was hoping maybe we could you know…talk?" Elena just stared at him, silent.

"No," said Bonnie and Caroline, shaking their heads, as they pulled Elena away.

"Okay," Stefan sighed before walking away. When Stefan arrived in OB, he looked at the chart of the patient Lexi wanted a consult for.

"Where's the mother?" he asked Lexi who was looking at a baby encased in glass.

"Gone. She stuck around long enough to get the kid strung out and then took off. Nice, huh? I wanted your opinion before I took it to Damon. He's very temperamental these days. I think he got a batch of bad blood."

"Lexi!"

"I know it's a long shot."

"There's no way Damon will take this surgery. You failed to mention that the baby was premature, underweight, and addicted to narcotics. There's no way that this baby is going to survive spinal surgery."

"You don't know that."

"Even if she does, she's a mess. She'll just get meningitis seizures. She's going to live a short painful life."

"You don't know that. You're not God."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry, honey, but you're not. You don't get to decide…"

"Wait did you just call me honey? Don't call me honey!"

"Fine. You're not god, Dr. Salvatore. Look if a patient has any chance at survival, which I think she does, then you have a responsibility."

"Don't talk to me about responsibility."

"You took an oath, Stefan!"

"Oh don't you dare talk to me about oaths!"

"Stefan, I messed up. People mess up."

"You slept with my brother in my favorite sheets."

"The flannel sheets? You hate the flannel sheets."

"No, I love the sheets."

"You like the Italian sheets with the paisleys."

"Would you just stop talking about the sheets?"

"Fine!"

"Lexi, don't do this."

"Stefan, look she's a fighter. Look how far she's come already."

"Don't get attached. Don't get involved. Just don't make her life more painful than it already is."

"Stefan, please. She has nobody. She needs someone to fight for her."

"She's too far gone. You have to let her go. Let her go in peace." He headed for the door.

"Fine, Stefan, walk away. It's what you do best."

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	14. Since You've Been Around

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

"The urine sample is last thing we need, Mr. Herman," said Elena through the bathroom door of Michael's room. Caroline then walked into the room.

"Meet Michael's wife, Tina," said Bonnie to Caroline.

"Hey," Caroline nodded.

"She's also pregnant." Michael then came out of the bathroom holding a specimen jar of urine.

"And can you tell us what precipitated the psychotic episode that got you admitted to the hospital?" Elena asked Michael.

"It wasn't an episode, okay? And I'm not psychotic. I am pregnant! I mean wouldn't you freak out if you were me?" Michael turned to his wife. "Honey, did you bring it?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Oh good. I can prove to everyone I'm not crazy." Raj, the psych intern, then walked in.

"That is my patient!" he yelled.

"Uh-oh," Caroline muttered.

"Yeah, well he's ours now. And if you want to fight me for it, I'll guarantee you I'll win," Bonnie smirked as Michael dropped the stick of a pregnancy test into the urine jar. Meredith then entered the room.

"What is going on in here?" she asked.

"Dr. Fell, look at his abdomen."

"It's a male hysterical pregnancy. It's a psych case. And it's mine!" Raj argued.

"It's not hysterical! I am pregnant," Michael whined as Caroline became distracted by the pregnancy test stick Michael used.

"See? Psych!" Raj yelled.

"No. His belly is distended. There's no signs of ascites and I clearly feel a mass with deep palpation. Surgical," Bonnie argued.

"Guys," Caroline muttered softly.

"Psych."

"Surgical."

"Come on now. You're doctors. Act like it," Meredith moaned as Caroline picked up the pregnancy stick.

"Psych!"

"Surgical!"

"Psych!"

"Surgical!"

"Guys!" Caroline yelled. They all looked at her. "Michael took a pregnancy test and it's positive." Bonnie, glaring at Raj, handed Michael's chart to Meredith.

"He's definitely a surgical patient now." Caroline and Bonnie exchanged a satisfied look. A few minutes later, a photographer was taking photos of Michael while Lexi performed an ultrasound.

"Do not think for a moment I condone stealing patients," Meredith whispered to Caroline and Bonnie. "That said…way to go."

"The first pregnancy test I took was a joke to make Tina laugh," said Michael.

"We didn't think it would lead to…you know, this."

"Mr. Herman, I can assure you, you are in no way pregnant," said Lexi.

"It's a relief to hear it, you know officially." Lexi then left the room. "But hey, why was that stick blue?"

"Well that's what we're gonna find out. Uh, Forbes, do a shotgun work up, including tumor markers. And get CT to make some room for us in line."

"What's this for again?" Michael asked, weirded out by the camera, as someone's pager went off.

"Ah medical journals, monthly case reports," Caroline began.

"Annual banquet highlight reels," Bonnie added as she and Caroline posed for a picture with Michael.

"Ah hey! Whose pager is that?" Meredith asked.

"Um, mine. But I found him, so can someone else…" Bonnie answered.

"What do you…no! We don't ignore pages, Bennett." Bonnie left the room and Elena noticed Michael was uncomfortable by all the attention he was getting.

"We'll be finished soon right, Dr. Fell?" Elena asked. Dr. Fell didn't appear to hear her as she too half posed for the photographer.

When Bonnie arrived at the nurse's station, Debbie handed her a pile of patient charts.

"Patient in 4243 needs a rectal. Then I've got two infected wounds, a folia grown abscess, four debridements and ah…case of explosive diarrhea."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"I'm not known for my humor.

"Why did you page me? None of these are my patients."

"You're Fell's intern, right? Then these are your patients."

Later at lunch, Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline were eating outside. Elena was reading a magazine when Matt sat at their table with his food.

"Pregnant guy? You had a pregnant guy and didn't tell me?" Matt asked, annoyed.

"Well we can get you floor space in the O.R for 50 bucks," said Caroline as Bonnie chuckled.

"You're selling tickets and we don't even know what's wrong with him," said Elena seriously.

"Whatever he's got inside has got to come out. We're just brokering a few deals," Bonnie replied.

"Sort of like backstage passes," Caroline added. "Want in on the cash?"

"No," Elena replied, shaking her head. She then noticed Lexi walk in. "I got to go." She quickly left. An hour later, Michael was in CT. Elena and Caroline were supervising the scan.

"The guys and I were taking bets on who would get to scan this dude," said the tech. Both doctors noticed her front pocket was full of money. "Beers are on me tonight. Next up the wager on what this thing is."

"You're taking bets?" Elena asked.

"On what's inside his belly. You want in? 10 bucks."

"Well, we know its not fat, fluid or fetus, so…" Caroline began as the images came in.

"Geez," the tech grimaced.

"Are those…teeth?" Elena asked.

"Bonnie is gonna be so mad she missed this," Caroline smiled.

On the surgical floor, Bonnie was called down to a patient's room. A nurse walked out and handed her a bucket.

"I was told to page you and only you if something like this came up."

"Who told you? Fell?" She heard the patient vomiting in the room. "No."

"Oh yes. And all I can say is you must've made one serious faux paux."

"I hate vomit." He handed her a mask to cover her mouth.

"You're gonna need this." He walked off and Bonnie grimaced before walking in.

In Michael's room, Caroline, Meredith, and Alaric were looking at Michael's CT scans. Elena was by the bed while some other doctors and nurses were taking pictures with their phones or cameras.

"A mesenteric teratoma, Chief," said Meredith.

"In an adult male!" Caroline added excitedly.

"Is that possible?" Ric asked.

"It is now. Large bi-lobe cystic lesion with a solid calcified structure," Meredith replied

"A deformed mandible," Ric concluded. He walked up to Michael, fascinated, and checked out his stomach.

"Labs show elevated HCG levels that explains the false positive on the pregnancy test. Which also means…"

"Probably malignant."

"You okay? You look a little green," said Elena to Michael. "I think he needs some air, Chief."

"Deep breaths, Mr. Herman," Ric replied.

"It's just that most of this medical speak goes right over my head," said Michael to Elena.

"You have what's called a teratoma. And it's really very rare in adults which is why you're so popular. It's just a mass of cells that's probably been there your whole life only now it's growing," Elena explained.

"Yeah, growing jawbones and toe nails and clumps of hair. Yeah, I've been listening."

"It's just that nobody's been talking to us," said Tina, a little upset.

"Just about you. I know what that's like." Elena made her way over to Dr. Fell. "Dr. Fell, all the attention. All the people. They're making them panic."

"Alright, everybody! Let's get them some peace and quiet until surgery." All the doctors and nurses left the room and when Meredith began to make some notations in Michael's chart, Bonnie walked over to her.

"I am the best intern you've got and you are wasting me on puke and boils. And I get it and I even deserve it but please you can't keep me away from this surgery. I earned this surgery! I stole this surgery!" she argued.

"What are you talking about, Bennett?"

"You. Punishing me. You have no idea what I'm talking about do you? Well, then who has been paging me all day? The nurses have been on me non-stop."

"A little bit of respect and you could have saved yourself a very long day, Dr. Bennett," said Nurse Debbie.

"Pissing off the nurses?" Meredith asked, a brow raised. "Stupid."

"Well, I can still scrub in right?"

Later in the day, Damon came out of one of his patient's rooms. He saw Elena standing by herself at a nurse's desk and Stefan looking at her. As his brother made his way toward her, Damon stepped in front of him, acting as if he was reading a chart.

"Don't do it. Turn around and walk away," Damon muttered.

"From what?"

"The intern."

"But I wasn't…" Damon snapped his chart closed and sent a knowing look toward him.

"Yes, you were. Don't lie. You're not good at it. Come on. You can't do this. You don't have the right. Not anymore."

"I just wanna find out if she's okay."

"Well, she's not! She's a human traffic accident and everybody is slowing down to look at the wreckage. She's doing the best she can with what she has left. Look, I know you can't see this because you're in it but you can't help her now. It'll only make it worse. Walk away. Leave her to mend." Stefan sighed, but didn't move. "Go on!" Stefan nodded and ducked into an office. Damon then walked to the nurse's station and returned his chart to a rack.

"Thank you," Elena whispered, having heard the conversation.

"No problem."

"That night in the bayou. Logan, that spell. It brought up some stuff from when I was in that temple. You aren't going to ask me if I'm okay?"

"I know what your answer will be. Do you want to know what I really think?" Elena nodded. "I think you're the strongest person I've ever met. To be able to handle the weight of what the Travellers did to you and what Stefan did and still be able to find a reason to get out of bed and come to work, that requires a person with unbelievable character and strength."

"Thanks."

"Well, don't expect any more mushy speeches like that from me in a while. It makes me uncomfortable."

"Thank you, Damon. Really."

"Get out of here. Don't you have a pregnant man to watch?" Elena laughed and walked back into Michael's room. She saw the room was flooded with people. Everyone was laughing and taking photos. Caroline and Bonnie were taking money from people while some were poking Michael's belly.

"What is going on in here!" Elena yelled. The room grew silent. "Everybody out! Out! Mr. Herman is a patient! A surgical patient who's sick and embarrassed and tired of being stared at!" People began to leave the room and Elena turned to Caroline and Bonnie. "You two! You should be ashamed of yourselves! Out! Out! Out!" She pushed everyone out of the room and shut the door behind her. Damon looked up from his charting to see Elena spitting mad. "This isn't a zoo! You know if all of you want to point and whisper and stare at me, knock yourselves out! Look at Elena, isn't she sad and pathetic and heartbroken. Maybe she's gone mental, maybe I have! But leave Mr. Herman alone!"

"That's my girl," Damon whispered before leaving.

Across the hall, Stefan emerged from the office to see what all the commotion was about. He stared at Elena. "What are you looking at!"

When it was time for surgery, Elena escorted Michael to the OR.

"Hey Dr. Gilbert, don't let them show it off. You know, put it in a jar, pass it around or nothing," said Michael.

"Your teratoma?"

"Yeah. I just feel weird about having my insides on display like that. You promise?"

"I promise." Halfway through the surgery, Alaric, Meredith, Bonnie, and Caroline had begun removing the teratoma from Michael's stomach. The gallery was crowded with people taking photos and watching.

"You really want to be the one to dispose of this, Gilbert?" Meredith asked.

"I made a promise."

After surgery, Caroline and Bonnie went for drinks at Rousseau's.

"She yelled at you?" Cami asked.

"Well, we probably deserved it. We sold 485 dollars worth of tickets to the surgery," said Caroline.

"Yeah," Bonnie added slyly.

"Did you sell more?" Bonnie pulled out a wad of cash from her back pocket.

"Oh yeah."

"You're out of control."

In the lobby, Stefan was getting ready to go home when Lexi appeared in front of him.

"Look, you know the way I see it we could deal with us in one of three ways," said Lexi. "Option one. I could apologize. You could forgive me and come home and we could move on with our lives like adults. Or, option two. I could apologize. You could forgive me, come home but, you can still bring it up to use against me whenever we argue."

"Are you trying to be funny?"

"Satan has a sense of humor."

"What's the third?"

"I don't know what the third option is." She leaned in and kissed him. Surprising to the both of them, he kissed back. "I just know that I still love you. You know you are going forgive me eventually, right? I mean you can't just…I mean there was a time when you thought of me as your best friend."

"There was a time I thought you were the love of my life. Things change." Lexi grabbed fished some papers out of her purse. She handed them to him. "Divorce papers."

"I haven't signed them yet. The ball's in your court. If you sign, I'll sign. I'll sign and be on the first plane out of here. Stefan, have you ever thought that even if I am Satan and an adulteress bitch that I still might be the love of your life?"

"I'm not signing these." Lexi looked at him curiously. "It's too much of an easy out for you. You want me to take you back?" Lexi nodded. "Fine, but you're going to work for it."

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	15. What Can I Say

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

When Elena, Matt, and Caroline arrived at work exited Elena's SUV, Bonnie was parking her car.

"Yikes, wouldn't want to meet you in a dark alley," Elena said to Bonnie, noticing her friend didn't look well.

"Right back at ya," Bonnie replied as Tyler jogged up to the four.

"A run? You run?" Caroline asked, exasperated.

"Every day, babe. Every day."

"Not suffering enough?" Elena asked.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

"Don't go acting all indefatigable. You're dragging like the rest of us," Bonnie moaned.

"Oh, what is that, professional weakness, Dr. Bennett?"

"It's called the flu, jackass." After they all walked inside and changed into their scrubs, Bonnie went to check on her patients, but then was accosted by nausea. She leaned against the hallway wall when Jesse walked by.

"Hey. Got the flu?" he asked.

"Yeah, and thanks for it. It's making my life so much easier."

"I didn't give it to you. It's all over the hospital. You should be in bed."

"Disease, diagnosis, and prescription from one man."

"Seriously, I'll give you a ride home."

"This is not gonna make me go home. You go home." Bonnie then stomped off.

"But I feel fine!" Jesse shrugged.

After finishing her rounds, Bonnie met Elena by the nurse's station.

"Hey, do you think I should tell Caroline about Damon and I? You know all that history in the 1800s? I've never told her. Do you think I should tell her?" Elena rambled. "I mean, she's really nosy and judgmental and always in my business so I haven't told her, but do you think I should? Because I told her and Matt about the Traveller thing. Do you think I should tell her? Maybe I should tell them both."

"I'm pregnant," Bonnie deadpanned before walking away. Elena's eyes widened and she raced after Bonnie.

"You can't just drop that on me and walk away! You're pregnant? What are you going to do? I want details."

"Look, you know what happens to pregnant interns. I'm not switching to the vagina squad or spending my life popping zits. I'm too talented. Surgery's my life."

"Which begs the question: who are you sleeping with?"

"Just a guy."

"That's all I get? You can't just bring something like this up and expect me to drop it."

"Well, watch me." Bonnie walked away into an empty OR and examined the instruments.

"Allis," she quizzed herself. Jesse walked by and stood outside the door, observing her. "Babcock."

"Right-angle clamp," Jesse spoke up.

"Oh." Bonnie was surprised to see Jesse. "I'm gonna sterilize everything when I'm done. The scrub nurses won't even know I was here."

"My lips are sealed. So, I have a question to ask. I checked the schedule and I noticed that you and I are both off tonight. I made reservations. I have a favorite restaurant."

"None of those were questions."

"Would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight?"

"You know, the OR is the one place where I can come and think. I'm thinking right now, okay?"

"What do you want from me?" Jesse suddenly asked.

"What?"

"What do you want? You don't want to go out to dinner. You don't want to meet me in the on-call room, and you sure as hell don't want to talk to me. I could pretend I know, but hey, I don't even have your home phone number. So tell me, what do you want?"

"Don't yell at me." Jesse started to walk away and Bonnie followed him into the stairwell. "Hey, we're having a conversation here."

"Well, what do you want?"

"I don't know!" Jesse grabbed and kissed her passionately, taking Bonnie aback.

"Figure it out." He left Bonnie, speechless. Further up the stairwell, Matt had witnessed the whole scene, shocked. He quickly ran out to find Elena exiting one of her patient's rooms.

"Hey," he said nervously.

"Hey," Elena returned, noticing his anxiety.

"So…how's your day?"

"Out with it, Donovan."

"Okay. Can you think of any reason, any reason at all, really why Bonnie would be kissing Porter?" Elena's eyes widened in realization.

"I have to go." She walked toward the elevator and when it opened saw Bonnie. She crossed her arms and shook her head at her friend. Bonnie quickly left the elevator and sped down a hallway, Elena on her heels. "After all this time. All your warnings about me sleeping with my boss, and you're doing the same exact thing?"

"It's not the same."

"It's the exact…"

"No, it's not. You and Stefan were in a relationship."

"And you and Porter are in?"

"Switzerland. It's very neutral there. And they make very nice watches."

"Have you even bothered to tell Porter about the baby? Are you going to?"

"Look, Elena, can we not go there? Can everyone just accept the fact that there are some things I like to keep to myself? I don't discuss everything to death."

"Well, why even confide in me at all if you're so intent on not discussing it? Why even tell me?" Elena stormed off, furious. Later during her shift, Bonnie found Jesse in the on-call room.

"Hey, um, do you still have those reservations? Cause I'm starving," she said.

"Bonnie, I think there's something we should discuss."

"Yeah, there is."

"It's pretty clear."

"It is?"

"We've been fooling ourselves, to think that we can continue like this without consequences."

"Consequences?"

"We have careers to think about. Reputations. We both put the job first. You are very focused. I respect that."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Oh, you're ending this?"

"I think it's best to make a clean break."

"Okay."

"Before it gets too involved. Before it gets?"

"Messy. Right, right. That would be, that would be bad."

"It's nothing personal." Bonnie left and then met Elena who was drinking at Rousseau's.

"The clinic has a policy," Bonnie explained. "They wouldn't let me confirm my appointment unless I designated an emergency contact person. Someone to be there, just in case, and to help me home, you know, after. Anyway, I put your name down. That's why I told you I'm pregnant. You're my 'person.'"

"I am?"

"Yeah, you are. Whatever."

"Whatever."

"He dumped me." Elena laid her head on Bonnie's shoulder and put her arm around her. "You realize this constitutes hugging?"

"Shut up. I'm your person."

The following morning, Elena was lying down on the floor of her bathroom, very hung over.

"It's not us. It's them. Them and their stupid boy…penises. They didn't tell me they had a wife. They gave absolutely no warning that they were going to break up with you." Bonnie slid open the shower down, sitting there in her clothes.

"It's not that Porter broke up with me. It's how he broke up with me. Like it was business. Like it was a business trans, like he's the boss of me!"

"He is the boss of you."

"And what's worse? Is that I care."

"I'm gonna throw up again." Elena crawled over to the toilet bowl and Bonnie slid the shower door shut again. "No. Wait. False alarm." Bonnie opened the shower door again and Elena sat against the wall.

"The problem is estrogen."

"No, the problem is tequila."

"I used to be all business and then he goes and gets me pregnant.

"With the stupid boy penis.

"I am having hormone surges. He ruined me. I'm ruined. He turned me into this fat, stupid pregnant girl. Who cares! Estrogen!" The bathroom door opened and Caroline and Matt walked in.

"Penises. Penises, Care." Matt went to the sink to brush his teeth while Caroline poured Bonnie another glass of water.

"Estrogen, Matt."

"What's wrong with them?" Matt asked Caroline.

"I came home to full on vomit drama. Elena's still dealing post-Stefan and Bonnie's been sleeping with Porter!"

"I knew that." Caroline gave Matt a look.

"I feel empty," said Elena.

"Two hours of vomiting will do that to you," Caroline replied.

"No, I feel empty."

"You're lucky. I feel pissed off," said Bonnie before she slid the door shut.

When they arrived at work, the morning passed by quickly as it usually does. Elena avoided Stefan at all costs while Bonnie put on her fake smile for Jesse. During lunch, Aimee walked by the surgical interns.

"Hey, Matt," she greeted.

"Hey," Matt replied, dismissively. Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie looked at each other confused and then turned to Matt. "What?"

"Matt. She was trying to make up with you," said Elena as they sat down. "You should go eat with her."

"No. No, I shouldn't."

"She's cute and she likes you. You shouldn't let a little syph get in the way," said Caroline.

"It's not the syph."

"It's so the syph," Bonnie replied.

"It's not the syph!"

"Then what is it?" Caroline asked. Matt looked down. "Oh."

"What?" Elena asked. "What is it? Out with it."

"There's this other girl."

"Caroline!" Matt scolded.

"Other girl? You have another girl?" Bonnie asked.

"He hasn't told her yet that he likes her."

"Caroline! We are not in high school."

"Matt has a little crush."

"I do not have a crush. It is a thing. A thing that is very personal. One day I would like to build on this thing with this other girl. Woman. She's all woman."

"What are you doing with Aimee?" Elena asked.

"Oh. Nothing."

"You're letting her think you're emotionally available. You're letting her think she has a chance. And there is nothing worse in the world than thinking you have a chance when you really don't!"

"Elena is right. Tell her there's someone else," said Bonnie. "Tell her why, Matt. I mean, I mean at least give her the chance to have some feelings about for god's sake!"

"Why are you yelling at me?"

"Because of the estrogen, Matt! Because of all the estrogen!" She took a bite of her salad angrily. Elena looked at Matt, also angry. Matt was taken aback by the whole situation while Caroline just tried to smile it off.

"So new subject," said Caroline awkwardly. Toward the end of their shift, Matt approached Aimee who was working in The Pit.

"Aimee, look, maybe I'm not over the Tyler thing or the syph thing, yet. That, that's not really the problem. There's a girl who I…and it doesn't matter there's this other guy and frankly I wouldn't care if she gave me the Ebola virus. I like you, Aimee, I but…I just don't like you enough."

"I gave it a shot, right? And you were honest. That's good."

In the staircase leading to the lobby, Elena looked over the walkway to see people coming and going. She then looked out all the windows which showed a view of Lake Pontchartrain. Her life was a complete and utter mess. The nursing home kept calling her all the time, she was _still_ hurting from Stefan, and then there was Damon. He was there…all the time…and being helpful and charming and supportive. God, did she want to be with him, but she knew the timing was still off. Elena smiled when she felt a familiar presence behind her.

"Speak of the devil," Elena murmured. "I was just thinking about you."

"Hmm. Good things or bad things," Damon replied, leaning against the staircase railing with her.

"A little of both."

"Your shift over?"

"Yeah."

"What are you still doing here?"

"Didn't really feel like going home just yet. I like coming up here to think. Bonnie's my best friend and she's going through some stuff so I can't talk to her about what I want to talk about. I have to be the good, supportive friend."

"Lay it on me."

"This isn't something we can talk about and joke about later. It's serious. You can't tell anyone."

"I can keep a secret."

"It's my mother. She isn't traveling. She isn't writing a book. She isn't doing any of the things I've been telling people. I've been lying to everyone."

"Why?"

"For every Traveller, it eventually comes. Our abilities don't protect from illness. She has Alzheimer's."

"How advanced?" Damon sighed.

"Very. She's in a home and I'm the only one who even knows she's sick. I just don't know what to do anymore, you know?" Elena's grip tightened on the railing. Damon laid his hand on hers and for just that moment Elena seemed to feel a little bit better, like her world wasn't rapidly spinning out of control.

* * *

**Please review!**


	16. Sleep

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything! **

* * *

In Washington Square Park, Bonnie and Elena were jogging. Bonnie stopped, very tired and out of breath. Elena jogged back to her and they resumed their run.

"Oh you're stupid. Oh God. You're a stupid, evil, sadist and I wanna kill you," Bonnie moaned.

"Endorphins are good. Endorphins are mood elevators. This is supposed to make us feel better."

"Oh god. Do you feel better?" Bonnie stopped to catch her breath while Elena jogged around her.

"I'm stupid."

"Slutty mistress."

"Pregnant whore."

"Sleeping with our bosses was a great idea." Elena stopped to catch her breath. "You know what's ruined for me? Coronary artery by-pass grafts and aortic aneurysms. God, I used to love aortic aneurysms." They both lied down on the grass to catch their breath. Surgeons are control freaks. With a scalpel in your hand, you feel unstoppable. There's no fear, no pain. You're ten feet tall and bullet proof. And then you leave the OR and all that perfection, all that beautiful control, just falls to crap.

"Have you cried yet?"

"Do you think we'll feel better if we cry? You know like just let it out?"

"Probably. Yeah."

"Do you wanna cry now?"

"No."

"Okay, lets jog."

After a few more miles, Bonnie and Elena returned to Elena's house to shower and go to work. When they walked into the locker room, they saw Matt looking on in shock at Tyler and Caroline, talking and laughing.

"What is she doing?" Bonnie asked.

"She's hanging out with Tyler."

"Why?"

"I dunno. I think they might be friends." After changing into their scrubs, Elena, Bonnie, Matt, and Caroline walked down a hallway trailing Dr. Fell and Tyler.

"You guys are wrong about him, alright? Once you get to know him, he's really sweet," said Caroline.

"He's Tyler," said Matt.

"Punk ass," Bonnie agreed.

"Hey, Gilbert. Caroline was telling me you have tapes of your mom performing surgery. I'd kill to see the Miranda Gilbert in action," Tyler called back.

"Hey, you know what? Maybe you can come over tonight and we can all watch it together," Caroline suggested. Elena, Bonnie, and Matt looked at Caroline disbelievingly.

"Oh yeah. If this were a hell dimension," Elena scoffed.

"Yeah, run away pig boy," Bonnie added. Matt then stopped in front of Caroline.

"Do you have a thing for Tyler?"

"No," Caroline replied a little too quickly. Bonnie groaned. "I don't!"

"Are we saving lives or having a tea party!" Meredith yelled. "Walk faster, people." The four picked up the pace and entered Mr. Gaston's room. Dr. Porter then walked in.

"Mr. Gaston is scheduled for a re-section non-small cell carcinoma today. He did well overnight. Has remained afebrile. He's had a dose of acephitraxon this morning. He's pre-op labs are unremarkable. His chest x-rays are um unchanged from previous," said Bonnie.

"I own a couple of dry cleaning stores. Never believed what they said about inhaling the chemicals, but…" Mr. Gaston trailed off.

"We're going to do everything we can for you, Mr. Gaston. Did oncology see him yet?" Jesse asked.

"Uh, they're waiting for the surgical path."

"Thank you, Dr. Bennett."

"You're welcome, Dr. Porter." All the doctors then left the room. Elena and Bonnie followed Meredith to the nurse's station.

"I know. I just think you should still tell him about the baby because he should at least have the responsibility of having to pay," said Elena.

"No! You know what? He'll never know. It's over. Once this pregnancy is taken care of, Porter won't even be a blip on my radar. He'll be a smudge."

"Right," Elena replied sarcastically.

"You know, Elena, leave the sarcasm up to me. Really doesn't suit you."

"Okay, folks," said Meredith to her interns. There's a new surgical case coming up from The Pit. Likely diverticulitis. Let's go." Caroline, Matt, and Tyler followed, but Elena stopped when she heard an all too familiar voice.

"Watch it! Hands off me! I could report you to the chief and you'd be out on your ass." Meredith Gilbert was shouting from a moving gurney. Bonnie read the woman's chart and was shocked. "Where is the chief!"

"Patient's name is…" Bonnie began.

"Where is the chief! You're all amateurs!" Miranda yelled.

"Complaining of intermittent cramping pain and diarrhea. Also suffers from…" Elena backed away slowly and Bonnie made eye contact with Elena sympathetically.

"AMATEURS!" Miranda yelled

"Alzheimer's," Bonnie finished.

"Patient's name?" Meredith asked.

"Um…"

"Bennett! Patient's name!"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Miranda called to her daughter. Elena scurried off, hiding behind an office corner. "Haven't I told you? How many times have I told you not to bother me when I'm at work!" Dr. Fell and the others looked at Elena.

"Miranda Gilbert," Bonnie finally stated.

"Elena's mom?" Matt asked.

"You're amateurs! You're amateurs!" Miranda yelled before Elena fled to the locker room. Once Miranda was settled in her room, Caroline, Tyler, Matt, and Bonnie tried to see Elena in the locker room, but Meredith blocked the doorway.

"Zip it!" Meredith yelled. "Dr. Lockwood, stick with the ETS case."

"Hey, Elena, you know, um, my great grandmother, she died with Alzheimer's," said Bonnie sincerely.

"My God, why would you say that?" Caroline asked.

"Look, I'm just trying to help."

"Caroline, Lexi needs an intern up in the NICU. Go," Meredith ordered. "Bonnie, you're on the thoracotomy."

"With Porter? Can't I have the NICU instead?"

"Okay, I'm sorry. I thought that I was your resident not your hostess. I assign, you take. Is that a problem? Is there some reason why it's inconvenient for you to spend the day in the OR learning from Dr. Porter?"

"No. I'm very happy to be working with Dr. Porter. Thank you very much." Bonnie walked away.

"Matt, take care of Dr. Gilbert."

"Yes. Thank you." He hugged Dr. Fell who was stiff and confused. "She needs a friend right now." Matt tried to move into the locker room, but Dr. Fell threw her arm against the door. "Oh, you mean, Miranda…the mother." Matt walked away while Meredith entered the locker room, shutting the door.

"Are you able to work today?" she asked.

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Cause I would understand it if you wanted to be with your…"

"No. My mother and I don't have the easiest…it's just better if I'm working."

"Okay. You're on scut."

"Excuse me?"

"While we take care of your mother, you can catch up on charting, run samples to the lab, go over…"

"I told you, I'm fine."

"And I appreciate that you're fine but I have to anticipate a certain level of distraction from you today. Even in the face of all that fineness. So scut now!" Elena left and Meredith closed her eyes, regretting the harsh tone she took with her intern. Elena went to administration and saw Alaric in his office. She knocked on the open door.

"Elena. What can I do for you?"

"It's my mother, sir. I thought you should see this." She handed him a file. Alaric flipped through it and then looked up at Elena. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I know you two are close. But she made me promise. She seems to be reliving the heyday of her residency a lot these days. And I just thought maybe if you could stop by and say hello, it would mean a lot to her."

"Well of course. Do you need a day off?"

"Oh no. I'm fine."

"Yeah."

"Okay."

Meanwhile, Matt was trying to perform a physical exam on Miranda. It wasn't exactly easy as she kept turning away from him.

"If you could just hold still…" Miranda shrugged out of his grasp and grabbed her chart.

"I'm in the middle of my work day, Gray."

"Gray? No, I'm Dr. Donovan." They wrestled for the chart and Miranda eventually yanked it away. "I just need to check your…"

"Darling, I'm not in the mood to play doctor now. Hands off. I'm busy." Elena then arrived, standing by the doorway.

"Matt," she whispered. Matt left the room to talk to Elena. "She's allergic to penicillin."

"Yeah, it said on her chart."

"Oh. You just have to be patient."

"Okay. Who's Gray?"

"My dad, Grayson. What did she…is she talking about him?

"Um…yeah. She's…

"She never talks about him.

"You alright?

"Yeah. I'm good.

"Good.

"Um, I can't be here." Matt walked back into Miranda's room and Elena peeked in briefly before leaning back against the adjacent wall. She saw Damon walk by into an office and went after him. "Dr. Salvatore."

"Elena. I heard. Is it true?"

"Yeah. Secret's out. Dr. Salvatore, I…"

"You don't have to call me Dr. Salvatore."

"Damon, I want in on a surgical case. I can't just do nothing all day. I never ask you for anything like this, so…"

"I have ETS this afternoon. Stefan's going to be there though, working on some burns."

"I don't care."

"Okay. You'll scrub in." Suddenly, the two heard a loud crash. They walked out of the office to see Miranda yelling.

"Get away from me you insipid little man." She threw a pillow at Matt.

"Dr. Gilbert, calm down."

"Get out of here! Get out of my room now!"

"Dr. Gilbert, calm down!"

"Get away from my house!"

"What can I do?" a nurse asked, walking in.

"Get some haloperidol," Matt ordered.

"Don't give me that look. That sapful, little soulful puppy routine. I know it by heart, Gray! And I'm over it. Elena make thinks she needs you but I sure as hell don't," said Miranda. Elena closed her eyes and walked away, unable to listen anymore.

In the OR, Dr. Porter was performing a thoracotomy on Mr. Gaston when Bonnie entered the OR.

"You're late," said Jesse.

"I apologize." She joined a group of interns who were watching.

"Just starting to dissect around Mr. Gaston's tumor. I've almost got visualization."

In the hallway, Matt was running around when Alaric called out.

"Donovan! I understand you're working on Miranda Gilbert."

"Yes sir, I'm trying my best."

"Right. Keep me informed of her progress and take good care of her. She's an old friend of mine."

"Really? Because actually I could use some help. Could, could you help me examine her?"

"Um, ah…I'm just a little busy just now. Gotta run." He walked off.

"Right. Okay. It's just that she seems to think that I'm her ex-husband and she won't let me touch her." Alaric stopped and looked at Matt.

"That's funny. If you weren't blonde, you would look quite a bit like Grayson."

"I look like Elena's dad?" Matt asked, mortified.

"Just take good care of her, Matt." Alaric continued walking.

"Like her dad? I need help."

* * *

**Please review!**


	17. Driveway

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

In the stairwell, Caroline was walking down to two when Tyler caught up with her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey."

"Whoa, wait."

"What?" They stopped walking and Tyler removed an eyelash from Caroline's face.

"You have an eyelash. Make a wish and blow it away." Caroline smiled and closed her eyes. Someone else then came up the stairs. "Hey Nurse Ratchet, there's a dead guy stinking up Room 4125. Do something about it before he rots!"

"You're such an ass," Caroline grimaced before walking into the hallway.

"Come on."

"Why are you so afraid in showing people that you're a decent human being?"

"Remember when he wallpapered the hospital with pictures of you in your underwear?" Matt asked, joining the two.

"Yeah. I do," Caroline replied before walking off.

"That was before I knew you. Thanks man, very helpful."

"I need you to help me do an exam on Elena's mom."

"Oh, a standard exam. You did go to med school, right?"

"She thinks I'm her ex-husband. She won't let me." They walked to Miranda's room and saw her rifling through her bedside drawers. "Dr. Gilbert."

"Oh, damn it, Grayson. I'm at work. I've already told you I'm too busy to deal with you now. No more cartoons."

"She means interruptions," said Matt to Tyler.

"No more interruptions, Gray. You heard the doctor." Tyler walked up to Miranda. "Hi, ma'am. I'm Dr. Lockwood. Pleased to meet you, Dr. Gilbert. I've always admired your work."

"So you're familiar with the Laparoscopic-Gilbert method?

"Oh, I've studied footage of the operation you pioneered. You're something else."

"Good. Well then we're wasting time. Let's scrub in."

"Well, Dr. Gilbert I'm going to need to do a short exam before you start surgery. I know. New hospital policy. Annoying PR crap."

"Ah! Make it quick." Tyler started listening to her heart beat with his stethoscope.

"Why don't you wait outside, Grayson? I can take it from here. Take a deep breath."

Back in the OR, Porter was still operating on Mr. Gaston. Bonnie was exhausted and sweaty.

"The tumor has infiltrated the pericardium." Porter looked at Bonnie who appeared to be daydreaming. "Bennett!" His voiced sounded distant and muffled to Bonnie, her surroundings blurry. "Bennett!"

"What, sorry?"

"Is my surgery interrupting your daydreaming?"

"No. Sorry."

"There is an arrhythmia when I press down on the tumor. That is a sign of what, Bennett?"

"Um…ah it's a sign of, it's a…it's a sign that the, uh, tumor has infiltrated the pericardium."

"Possibilities?"

"In all…I'm sorry. I…"

"Do your homework, Bennett. It could be causing a tear in the aortic muscle of the heart." Bonnie then swayed and collapsed on the floor.

"Dr. Bennett!" said another intern.

"Bonnie. Bonnie," Jesse murmured. "Somebody help her!" From the gallery, Caroline and Meredith leapt up to their feet and headed down to the OR. The doctors laid Bonnie on her back. "Bonnie! Don't just stand there damnit. Somebody help her. GET A GURNEY IN HERE!" Caroline and Meredith put on masks and entered the OR while doctors rushed out to get a gurney. "Bonnie."

"We've got it, Dr. Porter. We've got it," said Meredith as she placed a breathing mask over Bonnie's face.

"Okay talk to me. Tell me what we do we know. What do we know? Talk to me, Forbes.

"I don't know."

"Come on, people. Let's move."

"Bonnie, what hurts?" Meredith asked. Bonnie didn't respond, but was still conscious. "Let's get her out of here. There's a patient on the table. Lift." They lifted Bonnie onto a gurney and started moving her out of the OR.

"Dr. Fell, when you get her stabilized, I need a report please."

"Right, Dr. Porter!" They moved down the hall. "Her pulse is racing. I need her on a monitor to get a BP. Also I wanna start her on a litre of LR wide open. Caroline, run ahead to emergency and let them know we're on our way." Bonnie grabbed Caroline's sleeve and Caroline removed the mask.

"What?" Caroline whispered.

"Seven weeks. I'm pregnant, Caroline. Care, I'm pregnant," Bonnie whispered, breathless. Caroline and Meredith stopped to look at each other and then moved the gurney into an elevator.

"Uh, okay. We're going to pre-op instead. Caroline, find Lexi Salvatore. Be discreet."

At Alaric's office, Matt walked up to Lexi and Alaric who were wrapping up a meeting about her department's funding.

"What is it, Donovan?" Ric asked.

"It's Dr. Gilbert, sir. Miranda."

"CT confirmed diverticulitis but a liver mass was also found."

"My god."

"Poor Elena. As if her mother having Alzheimer's isn't bad enough now she has to deal with liver cancer." The three headed downstairs.

"You won't know that its cancer until you do a biopsy, Donovan.

"Right. Sorry."

Caroline then arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

"Excuse me, Dr. Salvatore. We need you fast. "Um…it's Bonnie, one of our interns. She's…she's collapsed."

"Bonnie's collapsed?" Matt asked.

"Why do you need me?" Lexi asked. Caroline sighed. Comprehension dawned on Lexi, realizing Bonnie must be pregnant.

"Bonnie's pregnant!" Matt yelled.

"Shut up, Matt," Caroline hissed. "Please come." Lexi followed Caroline.

"This is a very bad day," Matt sighed.

In the OR, Damon was performing an ETS on a patient while Stefan performed a skin graft on an arm. Tyler and Elena observed. Alaric then burst into the OR.

"It's time to clear me for surgery, Damon."

"What?"

"I know you heard me. I'm standing right here."

"Chief, I'm a little busy. We'll talk about it later."

"Just give a verbal okay and we can do the paperwork later."

"I cannot do that."

"I am your chief of surgery. This is not a request."

"I am your doctor. One week after brain surgery, you are not ready to resume medical practice."

"It's a simple procedure. A needle biopsy. A resident could do it."

"So let a resident do it," Stefan replied. "What are we missing here?" Elena sighed.

"It's for my mother, isn't it? You think she has cancer?"

"Matt needs your signature." Elena looked at Stefan and Damon before leaving the OR.

"Look, Ric, I get that she's your friend but I'm not clearing you for surgery." Outside, Matt provided Elena with some forms to sign.

"What's her total bili?" Elena asked.

"It's actually only 4. It's not great but it's not terrible."

"That's why I didn't see the jaundice."

"No one could. We just have to wait and see."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"It's Bonnie."

In an exam room, Lexi was performing an ultrasound on Bonnie. Dr. Fell was standing behind Bonnie's bed, stroking her hair.

"Have you notified the father?" Lexi asked. Bonnie was silent.

"Bonnie? Bonnie, is there anyone we can call?" Bonnie gasped. "We're losing her."

"Oh, man," Lexi groaned. "It's an extra uterine pregnancy in the tube. She's bleeding out."

Outside the operating room, Jesse had finished his surgery and was stopped by Alaric by the whiteboard which listed all the surgeries occurring in the OR's of the hospital.

"Ah, good. You're finished. I need you to do a needle biopsy," said Alaric.

"Uh…gotta go check on…there's someone I need to see about. I had an intern collapse on me in the middle of surgery so if this can wait…"

"No, I need you to do a needle biopsy now."

"Chief, now is not the time."

"Look, I'm not in the mood for a debate. You understand. You'll do it because I asked you to. Because I need you to. It's Miranda Gilbert." Jesse followed Alaric, missing an intern writing _BENNETT, B. / ERA ECTOPIC PREGNANCY_.In the OR, Lexi was performing surgery on Bonnie to remove the pregnancy.

"She's gonna be okay, right?" Caroline asked, observing.

"How attached was she to this pregnancy?"

"I don't know. She's a pretty private person."

"She's lost a lot of blood but I've got it from here. Dr. Fell, you must have a surgery or two of your own today."

"I'm fine right here."

In the wash room in another OR, Damon, Stefan, and Elena were cleaning up.

"I wanna check on Bonnie," said Elena.

"You know what's wrong with her?" Damon asked. Elena headed for the door, but Stefan held her arms comfortingly. Elena backed out of his grasp, upset. Stefan held up his arms in defense.

"Don't!" Elena yelled sharply.

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I'm so tired it, you being sorry."

"Dr…"

"Don't do it!"

"Dr. Gilbert."

"Dr. Gilbert, seriously! Are you concerned about Damon hearing us argue? Is that what matters to you? Do you really think he cares?" Elena turned to Damon. "Damon, do you care that I was the intern stupid enough to screw the married attending?

"No."

"It's okay," said Stefan.

"It's not okay! You have a wife who's not easy to hate. Who's annoyingly kind and painfully smart and currently saving my best friend's life."

"Elena, just…"

"Don't! Stop talking to me like you're my boyfriend! Stop talking to me at all!" Elena left the room and ran to the OR Bonnie was in. She was about to come in, but Meredith saw her. She went over to the door to stop her intern.

"Need something?" Meredith asked.

"I'm coming in."

"No, you're not."

"I am. I'm her friend."

"Exactly. She's lying on the operating table, naked, exposed. She's sedated but she's probably scared out of her mind. Now right now she's not a doctor. She's not your friend. She's a patient and she deserves to have all the privacy I can give her. You're not going in there."

"We went jogging this morning. I made her go jogging. There's no way that could of…"

"No. It started out this way. Nothing caused it to happen."

"You have to let me in there."

"You can try. I'd have to take you down. You're pretty tiny. I could do it."

"Right now. Just in this moment. I hate you."

"Yeah, well, I can take it."

Outside the OR, Jesse had finished Miranda's needle biopsy and was shocked when he looked at the whiteboard. Bonnie was pregnant? An hour or so later, Bonnie woke from her surgery. Dr. Fell was sitting in a chair, watching over her.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked.

"You had an extra uterine pregnancy. Your left fallopian tube burst. Dr. Salvatore…she did everything she could but there was too much damage. She couldn't save the tube." Bonnie closed her eyes. By a nurse's station, Caroline and Elena were talking.

"Hey did you get your mom's biopsy results back yet?" Caroline asked.

"Not yet. How's Bonnie?"

"She's ah…she's gonna have a lotta pain for a few days but she'll be okay."

"I'm glad you were there."

"Are you? It's just that a lot of the time it feels like you and Bonnie are kinda over there and…I'm here."

"So about Tyler."

"Yeah, I know. You guys hate him. Fine."

"Yeah, we do, but I believe you because I knew a guy who was like that once, difference once you got to know him." Matt then approached them. "Well?"

"It's benign."

"Tell her." After changing clothes to go home, Elena sat outside the hospital on a park bench, rain drizzling down on her face mixing with her own tears. Damon walked out of the hospital, only seeing her back.

"Elena?" he called. Elena closed her eyes, whimpering. "Elena."

"Don't. Please just don't say anything," she sobbed.

"Okay. You can talk you know. If you need to. I'll listen. I hear it's something I'm good at."

"I'm fine."

"You've said that word so many times today it doesn't even sound like a word anymore."

"You want the ugly truth?"

"I never would have picked you to have an ugly truth." He sat down on the bench behind Elena so they were back to back. Elena's hand fell from the armrest of the bench. Damon noticed and took her hand in his.

"She doesn't have cancer, my mother. I wish she did."

"Well. Liver cancer's fast. Painful but its fast and they give you morphine. They don't give you morphine for Alzheimer's."

"No, they don't. What kind of person wishes their mother has cancer? I'm just exhausted. My mother is exhausting. What happened to Bonnie and Stefan and then there's you. It's all so exhausting. I don't want to do it anymore."

"Will you let me help you now?" He felt her nod and flashed to the seat beside her. He took in her wet cheeks and puffy eyes. He placed his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him, laying her head on his chest, before letting on a long sob. "Shh. You know, I thought it was really sexy you telling my little bro off." Elena laughed. "There it is. I knew I could get a smile out of you."

"You're a jerk."

"Ah, but I'm your jerk."

"Yeah. You're my jerk." Damon kissed the crown of her head before nuzzling her soft hair. Just like he remembered. Inside the hospital lobby, Stefan noticed Damon comforting Elena and it absolutely made his blood boil. However, he was paged before he could decide on a course of action.

No one likes to lose control but as a surgeon there's nothing worse. It's a sign of weakness, of not being up to the task. And still there are times when it just gets away from you, when the world stops spinning, and you realize that your shiny little scalpel isn't gonna save you. No matter how hard you fight it, you fall and its scary as hell. Except there's an upside to free falling. It's the chance you give someone to catch you.

* * *

**Thank you for all the awesome reviews! I'm so happy you guys like it! Also, just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	18. Catch My Disease

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

At Rousseau's, Caroline, Elena, and Matt were sitting at a table, drinking and snacking on bar peanuts.

"I don't know. When I left, Bonnie said she was okay," said Matt.

"Nobody goes what she went through and is totally over it by now," Caroline replied.

"Bonnie can."

"She's fine," Elena agreed.

"Too fine. She's cold," Caroline argued.

"No, she's hardcore. She's got ice in her veins. She does what she has to do to get through it," said Matt.

"She lost a baby. She lost a fallopian tube and she's acting like she doesn't even care. She's all hello, I'm totally fine person. I mean she's my friend too but she's acting like she has no emotions or warmth, like she's missing a soul."

"God, she's gonna make a great surgeon."

"Matt!"

"It's true. You show no weakness, you make it to the top."

"Some people just keep their feelings to themselves," said Elena.

The following morning, Meredith was making rounds with Tyler, Caroline, Elena, and Matt.

"I want everyone focused today. With Bonnie out, we're short an intern and I have a feeling it's gonna be one of those days." They walked into a patient's room that was over-crowded with interns, doctors, and nurses.

"So we're in the middle of the Belizian jungle and this jaguar jumps out and bites one of the guys," said the patient as Meredith entered the room with her interns. "They all look at me, you're a doctor, help him. This is one time a Ph.D. does no good."

"I'm sorry did I miss the bell for social hour?" Meredith scolded. Everyone left except Meredith's group.

"Tales of missionary life," said the patient.

"You're a missionary?" Caroline asked.

"No, my parents. We traveled a lot. They still do."

"This is Dr. Porter's patient," Caroline began her presentation. "Kalpana Vera. She presents with a multiple syncopal episodes and ventricular arrhythimas."

"So you've been passing out?" Meredith asked.

"Yeah, and having palpitations."

"Past medical history of rheumatic heart disease with mitral valve stenosis," Caroline added.

"They had to ship me from Zambia to the States for 3 months of treatment when I was 8. Rheumatic fever almost killed me."

"Dr. Forbes, what are the primary causes of ventricular arrhythmias?" Meredith asked. Caroline moved to speak, but was interrupted by Bonnie who had come to the doorway in her hospital gown with her IV stand.

"Valvular disease. Mitral valve prolapse, stimulants, drugs and metabolic abnormalities," she interrupted. She was quite pleased with herself while everyone else looked exasperated. "What?"

"Out!" Meredith ordered.

"I'm fine."

"Out! You better be in your room by the time we round on you."

"And when will that be?"

"In 15 seconds. 14. 13. 12. 11." Bonnie started walking away, but her underwear showed through the slip in the back of her gown. Matt, Caroline, and Elena laughed while Meredith turned away.

"Nice panties, Bennett," Tyler smirked. Bonnie closed the back of her gown so nothing was showing and turned back to Tyler.

"In your dreams, Evil Spawn."

When the interns and Meredith arrived at Bonnie's room, Bonnie was lying in bed, her mother, Abby, was sitting on the couch, doing some sewing beside a window.

"Bonnie Bennett. Post op day three from a unilateral salpingectomy," said Elena.

"And ready to get back to work," Bonnie added.

"Is she?" Abby asked.

"I'm taking solids and my pain is controlled with oral meds. I'm ready."

"Didn't the nurse say this morning you had a fever?"

"Mother."

"Bonnie, did you have a fever?" Meredith asked.

"Temp spiked to 101 last night. Big deal."

"She worked two shifts last month with a 102 degree flu," said Matt.

"Yes. Exactly, Matt. Thank you."

"And we appreciate your dedication but you're staying in bed until it normalizes."

"I keep telling her there's more to life than surgery and career," said Abby.

"Mother.

"Look I need you to relax. Shut up and get better. You're a patient this week so you can be a doctor next week. Understand?" They began to walk out of the room, but Bonnie pulled Elena back.

"Lena. You cannot leave me alone with her. I'm flying over the cuckoo's nest. You have to save me."

"You need time to heal."

"I'm healed." Elena walked out of the room. "I'm healed!" Bonnie, annoyed, looked at her mother and then looked away. "Oh god."

In Miranda's room, Meredith and her interns had walked in. Miranda was lying on the bed in a pink robe.

"Okay, Dr. Donovan, you're presenting," said Meredith.

"Okay. Dr. Gilbert is post-op day three from a tumor re-section."

"Wrong. Wrong," said Miranda. "He's got it all wrong. It's not asthma. It's gerd. He needs a nissen fundoplication." Matt sighed. "I don't want her in the room."

"Mom!" Elena scolded.

"She's a child and I won't have her on my team."

"We'll meet you outside, Dr. Gilbert," Meredith sighed to Elena. Elena walked out, a little stunned. She leaned on her side against the wall and turned around when she felt someone's eyes on her. Damon. She stomped over toward him and he pretended to read a chart.

"Were you just checking out my ass?" Elena asked.

"Not the first time, won't be the last."

"No!" Elena pointed before she walked away, smirking. Damon chuckled. Elena passed by the elevator doors and when they opened, she was accosted by Stefan.

"Elena!" he called.

"What do you want?"

"I'm reconsidering my decision to stay with Lexi. I'm thinking about divorcing her." Elena was speechless. "Well?"

"You're stupid and I have to go."

Meanwhile, Bonnie was in her room, making notes in her chart. Jesse looked in and saw no one else was there so he walked in. He took the chart from Bonnie.

"It's my chart," she sighed.

"You're the patient. Not the doctor. Act like one. It's been tough finding you alone."

"Yeah, well…"

"How're you doing?"

"Well you have my chart, you tell me."

"How're you doing?"

"I'm fine. Perfectly okay."

"I had a right to know."

"Well, now you do."

"Bonnie."

"Look, now you know. It's over. There's nothing for you to deal with. So I don't know what else there really is left to say."

"Plenty. For starters you could've come to me…"

"Oh, look. It's my mother." Jesse turned around to see Abby coming out of the bathroom.

"Dr. Jesse Porter. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Bennett."

"Actually it's Wilson. Dr. Saul Wilson, Roanoke? The oral surgeon. I remarried. I've been remarried since Bonnie was what about 3?"

"Mom. That's too, too much information. He has other things to do."

"You're good looking. He's good looking. Why don't you ever bring home a man as good looking as him?"

"Stop."

"What?"

"Stop talking."

"Bonnie! Forgive her. I don't know what I ever did to raise such an unpleasant girl."

"Oh me, I'm unpleasant?"

"Excuse me," said Jesse as he left the room quickly.

"Do you know who that was? That was my boss!"

"I only said nice things."

"Why'd you have to call me unpleasant in front of my boss?"

"Lighten up, please!" A few minutes later, Abby was painting Bonnie's toenails. "I'm redoing the living room in beige silks I'm thinking. And modern. Very mid-century. And the dining room…"

"Mother, give me back my toes."

"Okay, I'll change the subject. Who's the father?"

"Mid-century you say?"

"Someone you work with right? Was it just for sex? You made such a point of not forming attachments."

"Twenty minutes. Just give…all I want is 20 minutes of peace and quiet."

"The daughter I raised would appreciate her mother's help."

"The daughter you raised is begging for you to go. Now!"

"I didn't have to come here. You know I'm very busy."

"Yeah. I know, I know. Redecorating your house. Well, can you get me a mocha latte please?"

"A non fat one."

"No, a fat one!" After her mother left, Bonnie changed into some blue scrubs and looked through the patient charts at the nurse's station.

"Where's your IV?" a nurse asked.

"I'm taking solids."

"On whose orders?"

"Mine!"

"Okay, Bennett." He produced the chart. "How about this order. Bed rest, out of bed to chair, bathroom privileges. Nothing about stealing charts at the nurse's station."

"Okay, you know what?" She grabbed a wheel chair and sat in it. "There, satisfied? I'm out of bed to chair."

"I'm telling your intern on you."

"Elena?"

"Yeah."

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Bonnie mocked before wheeling off with a patient's chart. Bonnie stopped outside Kalpana's room and saw her swallow a pill. "I saw that. I saw you take that pill."

"It's my pill. You know, the pill."

"It's not in your chart and you're supposed to tell us the meds you're on." Caroline noticed Bonnie and walked over.

"You're not my doctor and you shouldn't even be here."

"She's right. You shouldn't be here," Caroline agreed.

"I saw her take unauthorized medication."

"I'm on the pill and I had grapefruit juice this morning, so since the juice inhibits enzymes involved in the metabolism of OCPs I thought I'd avoid the interaction by taking it two hours after my meal."

"She's has a doctorate in neuropharmacology, Bonnie," Caroline explained.

"Well, I don't see oral contra…" They began to fight and Kalpana's heart monitor started racing. She fell to the floor unconscious and Caroline rushed to her. "She's in V-fib."

"Call the code." Bonnie pressed the code button. Caroline thumped Kalpana's chest hard and the woman gave a loud gasp of air. her heart monitor returned to normal as the code team arrived.

"No code?" a nurse asked.

"Not anymore."

* * *

**Please review! And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	19. A Storm Is Going To Come

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

"You scared us a little there," said Jesse to Kalpana before he turned to Caroline. "How's her workup coming?"

"Uh electrolytes are within normal limits. Urine tox was negative and EKG is fine. Till test is scheduled for noon. Oh and she's on contraceptives."

"So?"

"That's what I said. That other doctor made such a big deal of it," said Kalpana.

"She didn't tell us before so I documented it in her med list."

"What other doctor?"

"Bonnie. She was wandering the halls." Jesse nodded and smiled.

"Fine. Take her down for an echo."

"An echo? What about cardioversion or ablation? Won't I need a pacemaker or a permanent internal defibrillator?" Kalpana asked.

"Although it would be unusual for rheumatic heart disease to cause ventricular dysrhythmias, we still gotta check your valves," said Jesse before leaving.

"I thought your doctorate was in neuropharmacology not medicine," said Caroline, suspicious.

"It is." Caroline nodded and left.

Meanwhile, Elena and Bonnie were in their hangout in the abandoned hallway. They were both sitting on an empty bed. Bonnie was looking over Kalpana's chart with medical books at her side.

"Stefan told me he's thinking of divorcing Lexi," Elena blurted. "You don't think he's doing it because of me, do you?" Bonnie shot Elena a look. "Oh, God. What am I going to do?"

"Tell him he's a douche and slap him in the face. That oughta set him straight. This is odd. Porter's patient…she's been in four other hospitals this year. You know, something's not right."

"You seem awfully interested in Porter's patient."

"This has nothing to do with Porter."

"Bonnie, you lost a fallopian tube, a baby and a boyfriend all in one day. You have the right to be upset."

"I'm not upset."

"You really should be in your room."

"Okay, if the situation was reversed would you wanna spend time with your mother in a confined room with one window?"

"Do you think we're like them? Our mothers?"

"God, I hope not," Bonnie groaned as Matt walked up to them.

"You're officially AWOL, you know," he said.

"I'm working. I'm trying to figure out what's going on with the crazy woman on four."

"You are the crazy woman on four."

"I made a break of freedom."

"You have a better patient than me and you don't even have a patient. I'm not a nanny! I'm a surgeon. Cutter. But no, I'm getting fake labs for fake patients so your mom can do a fake surgery." Realization then dawned on Bonnie.

"What?" Elena asked.

"She's faking it."

"It's real to her. It's Alzheimer's," said Matt.

"The missionary. Kalpana. Ah!" She hit Matt on the side of the head and walked off. "Oh God. Thank you!"

"Ow! Uncalled for." Bonnie walked up to the nurse's station and saw Caroline looking through the patient charts.

"Hey, Caroline. How are her studies?"

"Hey! I've been looking for that everywhere." Caroline took the chart off Bonnie and began writing in it."

"Negative right?"

"Oh. The echo tests showed mild mitral stenosis. The till test was negative. We're doing EP studies."

"I can tell you what's wrong with her without sticking electrodes in her heart."

"Really. Just by the chart?"

"No, from the pill she took."

"They were contraceptives, Bonnie! Why are you so obsessed with this? Just go back to bed!"

"I think she's doing this to herself."

"You think she's inducing ventricular arrhythmias? She'd have to be crazy to do…"

"No, no, no. She'd have to have Munchausen's."

"Okay wait. You think she's secretly ingesting something to produce real symptoms?" Jesse then came behind Bonnie looking for a chart. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, just run it by Porter and tell me what he thinks."

"Tell him yourself he's standing right behind you." Caroline handed the chart to Jesse and walked away. Jesse looked at Bonnie and Bonnie sighed, putting her hand over her face. They walked into an office and she told him her theory.

"I mean she obviously loves the patient role. She practically lives in hospitals. And…we're like an imaginary family to her because her really family blows her off to go take care of other people. And, and I saw her take something."

"It's not enough. We have to rule out everything else. Everything physical."

"She even lied about her job. She's a pharmacy tech. Not a PhD."

"So she's a liar. I've been lied to before."

"Hey, we're not talking about us here."

"Maybe we should be."

"I didn't lie!"

"You withheld with truth. How was I…"

"Okay you know what? I distinctly remember you breaking things off with me. And you didn't seem so upset about it. And this is not a relationship. This is not real…"

"Bonnie!"

"And so what's the big display of fake hurt and drama?" She headed for the door.

"Bonnie!"

"I'm supposed to be in bed." She slammed the door shut after she left.

"Bonnie!"

Later, Jesse and Caroline were performing a test on an unconscious Kalpana.

"We're using three different catheters. Why are we doing that, Dr. Forbes?" Jesse asked.

"Programmed electrical stimulation maps the heart's electrical system to find the focus of the irregular…"

"Um, doctors, sorry to interrupt," said a nurse.

"Yes?"

"Her urine's blue."

"What?" The nurse held up a bag holding Kalpana's urine.

"Why is her urine blue?" Jesse sighed in realization. When Kalpana woke in her room, Jesse and Caroline confronted her.

"Blue urine?" Kalpana asked.

"A second drug screen was positive for amitriptyline which I'm sure you know causes ventricular arrhythmias," said Jesse.

"You knew it wouldn't show up on a routine drug screen but I'm guessing you didn't realize it would turn your urine blue," Caroline added.

"I didn't do this to myself. You have to believe me. I'm sick! I'm sick. I have something…"

"No, you're just deceiving yourself, manufacturing things that really aren't there. Seeing only what you want to see. Wasting our time, our resources and throwing away your own life. Your illness is in your head Kalpana. We will be transferring to psych."

Meanwhile, Bonnie was in her room, wearing her own silk dressing gown and pacing the room. Abby was sitting by the window.

"Your latte is by your bed and I'm pretty sure it's cold," said Abby.

"I don't need it," Bonnie sighed.

"You should be in bed."

"Stop it. I'm fine. Okay? My brain is fine. My body is fine. I'm fine.

"I don't know why I came.

"Then why did you? You know I'm…you know just stop it. I don't…I'm sorry I'm not that person. I'm sorry. I don't need you here taking care of me." Caroline then walked in, smiling. "Well?"

"You were right. Kalpana definitely suffers from Munchausen's." Bonnie turned to her mother.

"See, I was right. I was right." Bonnie closed her eyes, emotions overcoming her. "I was right." She began to cry and Caroline stopped smiling, looking at Bonnie as if she's grown a second head. "I was right. Oh…I'm, I'm…right," she sobbed. Immediately, Caroline called Matt who then called Elena.

"What's going on?" Elena asked, panicked after getting a 911 page.

"I can't stop. I can't. I can't stop…" Bonnie sobbed.

"Crying. She can't stop crying," Caroline added.

"I can see that! What did you guys do to her?"

"Nothing!"

"She's going to dehydrate. Bonnie, do you want some water?" Matt asked. Bonnie shook her head no, still sobbing. Elena moved in to hug her, but Matt immediately pulled her away.

"NO!" they both yelled.

"I already tried that. It just made it worse," said Caroline.

"I knew she'd break sooner or later. Just a matter of time," said Abby.

"I WILL KILL HER!" Bonnie shrieked. Elena escorted Abby out of the room.

"I'm her mother!"

"We don't do well with mothers here. Why don't you leave and come back later?" Matt tentatively handed Bonnie a tissue. "Bonnie."

"Make it stop. Make it stop!" she continued to cry. "Somebody sedate me!" Matt ran out of the room and Bonnie continued sobbing. After she was sedated, Bonnie was lying back in bed, silent tears dripping down her face. Her mother was sitting on the couch, entering things into her phone. Jesse stopped by dressed to go home. He entered the room and Bonnie looked at him. He looked at her mother who stopped what she was doing and stared. Jesse placed his briefcase down a chair and moved to stroke Bonnie's hair.

"She doesn't want to be touched," Abby warned. Jesse pulled away and looked at Bonnie who was trying not to cry. He took off his jacket and got into bed next to her, holding her in his arms as she started to cry again.

"Shh," he consoled, pulling her closer and kissing her forehead.

Meanwhile, Elena was in a bar, sipping from a glass of bourbon. She had acquired the taste from Damon.

"You look miserable," said Damon as he sat beside her. Cami then came up to him. "I'll have what she's having."

"I left my best friend a blubbering mess."

"Don't worry about it. When I left, I stopped by her room. Jesse was there. She seemed better, not okay, but…better."

"Glad someone is around here."

"You're acting weird. What'd my brother do this time?"

"Your brother's a douche."

"Tell me something I don't know," Damon scoffed before he took a sip of his drink.

"He told me he's reconsidering divorcing Lexi. I know he's only doing it because of me, not because he really wants to. Dumbass. Can't take no for a frickin' answer."

"Want me to kick his ass?" Elena laughed. She leaned her head against Damon's shoulder, exhausted.

"No. It's just…sometimes I wish I could disappear. Like I could leave all my responsibilities in the dust. You ever feel like that?"

"Sometimes. Come on. I'll call you a cab. Tomorrow will be better."

"Tomorrow will be better," Elena smiled.

* * *

**Please review! And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	20. Cobrastyle

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

_Atlanta, Georgia ~ 1864_

Rain poured throughout Atlanta when Elena returned home from running errands. After summoning her maids to place her packages in their appropriate place, she walked up the stairs to her bedroom where she knew her newest guest was still resting. She took a candle from a table in the hallway and lit it, illuminating the dark hallway. She walked inside her room and saw Damon sleeping, still recovering from the wounds he obtained during on a small skirmish on the border of Georgia and South Carolina. Elena placed her candle by her armoire and changed out of her wet red dress, leaving her only in a red corset and black skirt. She heard Damon groan and turned.

"Elena?" he called.

"Shh," Elena replied as she walked toward the bed and sat on the edge next to Damon.

"You're back."

"I'm back." Electric blue eyes took in olive skin.

"You're so beautiful." Elena blushed.

"Stop it."

"You are. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever witnessed. I love you."

"I love you too," Elena smiled before kissing him. However, they were soon interrupted by a knock at the door. "Yes?"

"Excuse me, my lady," said a maid through the door. "But there is someone here to see you."

"It is late, Maryanne. Tell them I have gone off to bed. If they wish to see me, it will have to wait until morning."

"It is your uncle, my lady. He won't leave unless he sees." Elena sighed.

"Very well. I will be down shortly." Elena grabbed a dressing gown from the edge of the bed and pulled it over herself. "I'll be right back."

"You better." Elena chuckled before leaving the room. Her mirth left her face though when she walked down the steps and saw her uncle waiting.

"Having fun with your…patient?" John asked callously. Shocking the maids, Elena slapped John.

"Get out of my house."

"I'm just here…"

"I know why you're here. And my answer is still the same, the same that it has been the last two hundred times you've asked. No! I will not allow the Elders to poke and prod me to unleash my Awakening! I will not go to Romania! Now leave please."

"Elena."

"I have a life here. I have a man upstairs who loves me very much. I have friends here. I have what I've always wanted. Can't you just leave me be?"

"You can't keep denying what you are."

"I can try," Elena murmured before walking up the steps and back to her bedroom. She leaned her head against the door once she closed it and took a breath.

"You alright?" Damon asked from the bed.

"Yes."

"No. You're not. You're a bad liar. What did your uncle want?"

"The same thing he always wants. He's such a pest. I need to redress your wound." Elena took a bowl of water, bandages, and some forceps from a table by the door and approached the bed. She laid her tools on the nightstand and sat across Damon's lap. She removed the bandage on Damon's shoulder. "It looks better."

"You don't," Damon replied as Elena used a pair of forceps to pick up some gauze, wet it, and clean Damon's stitches.

"Damon, please." Damon cupped her face.

"Look at me. If we're ever going to have a life together, you had to tell me when you're hurting. That's only way I can help you."

"My uncle's a bastard. He wants me to return home to Romania. I keep telling him no. They want to awaken my powers and I keep telling him no. I refuse to be the elders' guinea pig," Elena replied as she redressed Damon's wound.

"What can I do to make you feel better?"

"Hmm. I can think of one or two things," Elena smirked.

"Oh. I can do that." Damon leaned in to kiss her. Beep! Beep!

* * *

_Present Day_

Elena groaned as she turned off her alarm clock. Of course. Just when her dream had gotten to the good part. Her muscles aching, Elena rose from bed and got ready for work. When she changed into her scrubs in the locker room of the hospital, Bonnie walked in from the pouring rain, dripping wet and obviously in pain from her surgery. Quickly, Bonnie changed and approached Meredith.

"You're dripping," said Meredith.

"I'm back. I just wanna make that clear. I'm back. I'm ready to work."

"Has anyone seen my husband this morning?" Lexi asked, coming up to the doorway from the hall.

"His name is on the O.R board. He should be here somewhere," Meredith answered before Lexi walked off.

"I'm good. I'm ready to scrub in. I'm 100% on top of my game," Bonnie continued.

"You just got discharged. Pace your self."

"I'm paced. I'm paced.

"Mmm-hmm. Rounds, people." They walked out of the room into a patient's room. Bonnie was the first to present.

"Henry Lamott, aged 42, is scheduled with Dr. Salvatore for a spinal implant…" Mr. Lamott turned up the volume of the TV and Matt was shocked by what he was watching. "…to control the pain of his herniated disc. He's allergic to all pain medication…" Bonnie then looked up with the rest of the interns to the TV. "Is that…?"

"Porn," Mrs. Lamott replied from the couch.

"Porn?" Meredith asked, still looking at the patient's chart. She then looked up to the TV. "As in porn!"

"Alright. What are we watching?" Tyler asked.

"Lockwood! Go stand in the hall," Meredith ordered. Tyler walked outside. "Uh, Mr. and Mrs. Lamott," Meredith began, distracted by the TV. "I'm sure…you're really nice people…and what you do in the privacy of your own…Look, we can't have porn in here. This is a hospital."

"It's for my pain," Mr. Lamott replied. "My doc says it releases endorphins in the brain. It helps keep my pain at a manageable level." Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena were amused while Matt was captivated by the television.

"Really?" Matt asked.

"Matt! Hall!" Meredith yelled. Matt purposefully closed his doctor's coat tightly and walked a little funny to the hall.

"What is this?" Caroline asked, trying to withhold a laugh.

"Nasty Naughty Nurses," Mrs. Lamott replied before looking up to the television, "4." Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline all stared at the television and tilted their head to one side.

"That does not look comfortable," said Bonnie.

"Trust me. It's not," Elena replied. Bonnie and Caroline turned to Elena.

"Get in the hall!" Meredith gritted out. Later, Meredith and the interns were walking down an open hallway and ended up at a nurse's station. "Donovan, Lockwood, you're in the pit today. Forbes, there's a cardiac patient waiting up for you on two. Bennett, keep an eye on the Lamott's. I don't want any problems. Go." They all scurried off, except for Meredith. "Gilbert, your mother's being discharged this evening. You make arrangements or do you need more time?"

"The nursing home is coming at 8."

"All right then, you're with Salvatore. Damon Salvatore today." As Elena headed toward Neuro, she ran into Stefan.

"Elena," he greeted.

"Your wife is looking for you."

"Look, if I divorce Lexi, I want us to work, but I think I need a little time to…take some space…to clear my head. I'm taking the day off, going camping in the bayou. This is hard for me, Elena."

"Well, let me make it easy then. I'm not gonna be that woman. The one who breaks up a marriage or begs you to want me. You can sign the papers or you cannot. The choice is yours. Either way when it comes to this relationship I'm out. Now where's your brother? I'm on his service."

"I'm not Damon's keeper." Elena noticed the elevator doors open and as some nurses filter out, saw Damon. She walked into the elevator.

"I've been looking for you," said Damon.

"I heard. I came to a realization this morning."

"Oh really? Do tell."

"Men are always the ones who stick me in such messy situations. So before you tell me what we're doing today, I think we should establish some ground rules for our friendship…thing."

"The dirty mistresses club has rules? Gosh, you'd think a club of dirty mistresses would be a little less uptight about things like rules."

"Number one, no flirting. Second, no talking about Stefan. And C, no doing that eye-thing that you do."

"What eye thing?"

"It doesn't work on me. I'm immune."

"You know, if I was going off to the woods, I'd have invited you to keep me warm." Elena gaped at Damon.

"Breaking rules one, two, and three."

"So…you and Stefan, you thinking about getting back together?" Elena shot him a look. "Just answer the question and I'll quit asking."

"He's taking some space."

"Maybe it's good that he's taking some space."

"Honestly, I couldn't care less."

"Good. You two aren't meant to be together." Elena sent Damon a curious look. Was he remembering? "Stefan, on the outside he holds it all together, but he's damaged goods, Elena. It's my fault. I damaged him, promised him an eternity of misery. You don't want to drink from a poisoned well."

"For the record, our friendship doesn't change anything. I'm not going out with you. I'm taking a break from men."

"Did I ask you to go out with me? Do you want to go out with me?"

"I'm not dating you. And I'm definitely not sleeping with you again. You're my boss."

"I'm your boss' boss."

"You're my teacher. And my teacher's teacher. And you're my teacher."

"I'm your sister. I'm your daughter."

"You're sexually harassing me."

"I'm riding an elevator."

"Look, I'm drawing a line. The line is drawn. There's a big line."

"So...this line is it imaginary or do I need to get you a marker?" Unable to resist, Elena snapped. She pushed Damon against the wall of the elevator and kissed him. Damon returned the kiss wholeheartedly, devouring her mouth while wrapping one hand around her waist, the other in her hair. As his kisses moved down her neck, he pushed her against the wall and lifted her up so her legs wrapped around his waist. She moaned when he ground his hips into hers. They quickly separated when the elevator binged. Damon wiped his lips while Elena straightened her hair.

"I'm so taking stairs next time," Elena murmured as they left the elevator.

"You have no self-control. It's sad. Check out The Pit. See if there's anything interesting. I heard a rape case come in. See if there's head trauma." Elena turned down a hall and Damon chuckled.

"Break from men my ass."

* * *

**Please review! ****And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	21. Think I'm In Love

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

"You the surgeon?" a nurse asked as Elena walked toward a trauma room.

"Yeah."

"We've got a rape victim. Better get in there." Elena walked in and beeping noises surrounded her. A woman laid on a gurney, covered in blood.

"25 year old female found down in the park. Status: Post trauma. She came in with a GCS of 6 and BP 80 over 60," said the ER doctor. Elena looked at the girl in shock. "Examined significantly for blunt head trauma, unequal breast sounds, right pupil is dilated. And she's ready for x-ray. You ready to roll?" Elena didn't answer as her gaze was caught on a part of shoes that belonged to the victim. They were the exact same style she'd worn into work today. "Hey!"

"Yeah," Elena snapped out of her daze. She checked the victim's pupils. "Call ahead to clear CT. Let them know I'm coming. Load up the portable monitor. Call 'respiratory' for a ventilator. I'll get x-rays while I'm up there. Page Salvatore and Porter. Let them know we've got an incoming trauma surgery."

A few minutes later, Damon and Jesse were both operating on the rape victim while other doctors and interns observed, including Elena.

"She's gonna spend a hell of a long time in recovery and rehab," Damon sighed.

"If she survives," Jesse added.

"What is she like 5' 2"? 100 pounds? She's still breathing after what this guy did to her? If gift's a god, they should castrate him."

"See how shredded her hands are. She tried to fight back."

"Tried to? Rape kit came back negative. She kicked his ass."

"So, we have a warrior among us, huh?" They all chuckled except for Elena.

"Allison," she said. Jesse and Damon turned to Elena. "Her name is Allison."

"I think I may have found the cause of our rupture," said Jesse. He pulled a small but substantial bit of flesh out and held it up for everyone to see. "What is this? Does anyone know what this is?"

"Oh my God," Elena gasped.

"What? Spit it out, Gilbert."

"She bit it off."

"Bit off what?"

"That's…his…penis." The male doctors groaned. "She bit of his penis." Half-groaning, Jesse quickly dumped the flesh into a surgical pan. After surgery, Elena, holding a red and white hazard cooler, walked down the hallway to Alaric's office. She came into his office where his assistant was going over paperwork.

"Hi, is the Chief in?"

"He's on his way. Is that it?"

"Yeah."

"Can I see it? No. Forget I asked." Alaric then entered his office.

"Hey, Elena."

"Hey. They said to bring this to you. So…"

"Yes, for the police."

"Right." She placed the cooler on a nearby table.

"When did the police say they were coming?" Alaric asked his assistant.

"You know how slow they are. So she better take it with her."

"What?" Elena asked.

"You have to take it with you."

"Chain of custody rules," Alaric explained. "All medical matter under reign must stay with the person who collected it until it's placed into police custody. You collected the specimen, so you have custody."

"Custody of a penis?"

"Yes. Until the cops come for it."

"Okay. Well, what am I supposed to do with the penis?" Alaric looked down sheepishly. Elena walked out of his office with the cooler and found Caroline at the nurse's station.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Don't ask. You don't want to know."

"I do wanna know. Really."

"You really wanna know? It's a severed penis."

"Okay. I didn't really wanna know." Bonnie then walked in. "Hey, Lena is carrying a penis around in a jar."

"Oh from the rape surgery?"

"Yeah and it's not a jar. It's a cooler," Elena replied.

"Talk about taking a bite out of crime." Elena rolled her eyes and took her cooler into an office. She needed some quiet. Damon then walked by.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked from the doorway.

"Yeah. Let's just say Allison and I have a few things in common." Damon looked at Elena strangely and she sent him a look. Catching on, he walked into the office and closed the door.

"You were raped? When? I'll kill the guy for you."

"It was a long, long time ago, Damon. There's a reason my uncle and I don't get along. Anyway, Allison's shoes are…"

"What?"

"Her shoes. I have the same ones in my locker. And I normally never wear them because they're not comfortable but today I did. And she was wearing the same shoes and it's just…stupid and I'm tired and forget it."

"You know what you need?"

"No. It's sick and twisted. We said that last time was the last time." Damon looked down. "You've been doing it without me?"

"Nancy Reagan lied. You can't just say no. Come on."

"Do you know what would happen if anyone knew?"

"I'm doing it. You can come with me or…you can stay here and be miserable." She followed him and they arrived in the pediatric ward of the hospital, looking at several newborn babies. Elena smiled. "See, you feel better already." Elena laughed.

In the ER, Matt entered the trauma room with Tyler.

"Pete Willoughby. 25 year old. GSW to the chest. Immediate return of 860 CCs of blood from the chest," an ER resident began. "He's put out more than 200 CCs in the past hour."

"They never tell you in the movies how much it hurts to get shot," said Pete.

"Push morphine 2 milligrams. Tyler, is this my case," said Matt.

"Morphine 5 milligrams. You didn't even call it."

"I don't have to call. I was here first."

"You got here first because I let you. Where's his chest films?"

"I got it. You always get the surgery. Today I'm getting a surgery."

"Guys, knock it off. He's one of New Orleans' finest. You've got an entire police force watching you," said the resident as he waved to the police watching from outside the room. Matt gave them a thumbs up.

"Page Dr. Porter. Let him know I'm bringing up a GSW," said Matt.

"No, we are bringing up a GSW," Tyler corrected.

On another floor, Alaric was visiting Miranda in her room. A nurse was filling out some paperwork while Ric looked at the chart.

"Looks like you'll be able to go home today, Miranda," he said.

"But I still have patients to see."

"No. No more patients. I'll be back to check on you later."

"You should know I'm thinking of leaving Grayson. I should never have married him. I'll leave him. You leave Jenna." The nurse looked at Alaric. "And then when our residency is over we can both get jobs at the same hospital."

"Why don't you get her meds ready for her discharge, nurse?" The nurse nodded and left the room. Alaric sat by Miranda on her bed and took her hand. "Miranda. That was a long time ago, remember?"

"Think about it, Alaric. We should make the break now." Alaric sighed. "If we wait until residency is over, you'll be at one hospital and I'll be at another. We could end up at opposite ends of the country. It'll be too late."

In another hallway of the hospital, Jesse ran into Lexi.

"Dr. Salvatore. Still here I see."

"I couldn't leave you. You seen my better half?"

"I'll tell him you're looking for him." Lexi left before Bonnie walked up to him.

"So thanks for…you know being there," she said.

"No thanks needed."

"Okay."

"So where are we?"

"Uh, the north east corner of a hospital." Jesse looked at her pointedly. "Oh. I'm getting back on my feet."

"Fine."

"That doesn't mean…"

"Bonnie."

"It's my first day back. I've got…"

"I'm not waiting forever." He walked off and entered an elevator as Meredith walked out. "Lockwood & Donovan are bringing up a GSW. Wanna scrub in?"

"No can do. No extra work. I'm trying to get out of here at a decent hour tonight."

"Oh, you got a date?"

"Yes. Yes, I do. A handsome man is whisking me away to a love nest for the weekend."

Downstairs, Matt and Tyler were moving Pete on a gurney down a hallway.

"You got shot in the line of duty?" Tyler asked.

"First night on the job. Can you believe my luck? A guy pulls a gun and I freeze up. The rookie let himself get shot. I'm never gonna live this down," said Pete with difficulty.

"Sure you will," Matt replied as they entered an elevator.

"You think?"

"Absolutely." Suddenly, the elevator lights blacked out and stopped moving all together. Eventually, the emergency lights came on.

"Dude, we're not moving," said Tyler to Matt.

"Really? You think?" Matt asked sarcastically. In the ICU, Elena stood outside Allison's room, looking through the glass window. Allison was heavily bandaged and in a coma. Damon walked up behind her.

"Elena, I've called every hospital in the county. I don't know. Sooner or later the guy that did this is gonna seek medical attention and when he does, that penis you're carrying around is gonna nail him."

"Where is her family?"

"Doesn't have any."

"No siblings?"

"No. Both parents are dead. She moved to New Orleans three weeks ago. Welcome to the city." Damon noticed Elena still staring through the window. "You want to talk about it?"

"I haven't talked about it for three hundred years. Another hundred won't hurt me." Elena wandered off and found Caroline and Bonnie standing at the edge of a mezzanine in the hospital. The hospital lights flicker above them and Bonnie moaned slightly, still in pain. "You know how long a surgical scar takes to heal. You must be in pain. You should take something."

"Drugs are for babies."

"I hate Tyler," said Caroline.

"The non sequitur award goes to…"

"Sorry, Bonnie. I hate Tyler."

"Jesse wants to have a relationship."

"Boys are stupid," Elena replied before she and Caroline walked off.

"Yep," Bonnie agreed.

* * *

**Please review! ****And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	22. Young Folks

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

In the elevator, Tyler was trying to open the elevator doors with his hands while Matt read the elevator emergency sign.

"If elevator should stop do not become alarmed. Press the button marked alarm to summon the assistance." He pushed the button repeatedly. "They don't want us to be alarmed then why call the button alarm?"

"That didn't work the last five times you did it. Get it through your head we've lost power. We're stuck here." Pete moaned. Matt checked the BP monitor.

"His pressure is falling. We need to get him to the OR." Tyler tried the emergency elevator phone.

"Damnit. It's out."

"That's bad. That's bad, right?" Pete asked.

"Someone is gonna get us out of here. Don't worry," said Matt.

Meanwhile, Bonnie walked into t Mr. Lamott's room to check on him.

"How are we doing?" she asked.

"Oh, can you move me to another room? The lights and the TV went out."

"Ah. Power outage in the east wing. They'll have it back on soon. You're not a critical patient. You'll be fine here."

"Oh God. What am I gonna do?"

"You mean?"

"Without my porn!"

"Read a book. Talk to your wife."

"No. School closed early because of the storm. She had to pick up the kids. She won't be back until after dinner."

"Well…I'm sure you can find some…normal way of amusing yourself."

"No. I need my porn!"

"Yeah," Bonnie replied dismissively before leaving.

In a darkened hallway of the hospital, Lexi was trying to calm down a very distressed Alaric.

"Lightning hit a sub station. We're running on back up generators. One of them's down. Alaric…breathe."

"The only direct means of transporting from the E.R to the O.R isn't working. Don't tell me to breath. I'll breathe if I wanna breathe." On the surgical floor, two security guards pried the outer elevator doors open. Alaric and Lexi walked up to Meredith and Jesse who were watching

"How bad is it?" Alaric asked.

"Two interns and a GSW to the chest," Jesse replied. Alaric closed his eyes and placed his hand on his forehead.

"Good air in, bad air out," Lexi suggested. Alaric shot her a look.

"Come on, people. Get those doors open." Only the top fifty centimeters of the internal elevator doors where Matt and Tyler were stuck were visible. A security guard trying to open the doors, but it only opened to about fifteen centimeters wide.

"It's jammed. It won't open any more," said one of the guards. "This is as wide as it goes."

"Move! Move!" Meredith ordered. She lied down and peered into the elevator. "What did you two do!" Meredith accused Tyler and Matt.

"Nothing!" they replied. She got up and Jesse took her place.

"How's the patient?"

"It's not looking so good." A few minutes later, Meredith was walking down a dark hall with a nurse.

"All ICU patients are going to the south wing. All limitary and step-down patients, north wing." Damon then walked up Meredith as the nurse walked off.

"You paged?" he asked.

"Porn! As pain management?"

"You met Henry," Damon grinned. "Yeah, there's a lot of different theories on how to treat pain."

"PORN! As pain management?"

"Look. It's possible that pornography like art and music can stimulate the brain to produce endorphins that minimize pain."

"Porn! As pain management?"

"I didn't prescribe it. It wasn't me. Take it up with the treating physician," Damon half-chuckled.

"If that man turns out to be some sort of sex weirdo, it's on you. That's all I'm saying."

In the elevator, Tyler was trying to keep a restless Pete calm.

"What's his blood pressure?" Jesse asked.

"It's not reading. He's too agitated," said Tyler.

"How's his pulse?"

"Steady, but it's still there."

"Do you have any instruments?"

"Uh, just a code box and some gloves."

"You didn't bring an open chest tray?"

"No, we thought…"

"You don't have time for excuses," Jesse interrupted angrily. "Donovan, blood pressure."

"I've taken it three times."

"And?"

"I can't hear systolic over fifty. He's gonna die."

"Intubate him. I'll be right back."

"Wait. Where are you going?"

"To get an instrument tray. You guys are going to have to open up his chest." Jesse stood up and Meredith looked at him.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked.

"No," Jesse replied before running down the hall. Meredith then met with Alaric down the hall.

"This is unconscionable. There's not enough power to move those elevators?" he asked.

"They're doing what they can to replace the back up generator now. Fire department is standing by."

"All critical patients?"

"Moved to the south wing."

"Incoming trauma?"

"Re-routed to Ochsner."

"Look that back-up generator should've been replaced last year."

"Yes, sir."

"Why didn't it happen?"

"Chief, you, eh, have to…ask maintenance, I wouldn't…know…"

"Dr. Fell! You know everything. Tell me whose butt to kick."

"That would be your butt, Chief. You didn't authorize the replacement generator. Saved the money for the new MRI machine. Um, I need to get back on down to the…" She gestured to the elevators and walked off. At the elevator, Jesse came back and peered into the elevator.

"Hey! This isn't gonna be too sterile but we can still try. Prep and drape the patient." He handed Matt and Tyler numerous gowns and items. They dressed and sterilized themselves as best as they could. Matt removed the bloody bandage covering Pete's GSW and started prepping him. Tyler looked on as he ventilated Pete.

Meanwhile, Bonnie walked back into Mr. Lamott's room and saw the man was in some serious pain.

"Help please. Oh!" he called out.

"Mr. Lamott. What's wrong?" She grabbed his chart from the bed. "Pressure's elevated. Pulse is racing. You're really in pain!"

"You think!"

"You're telling me the porn actually sedated you?"

"Oh, what did you think I'm some kinda pervert watching that stuff in front of you?"

"Well…yes. Okay, uh, you're allergic to most narcotics and NSAIDS. I suppose we could try droperidol and dihydroemetine."

"No. That put me into a coma last year."

"Well, I can get anesthesiologist down here. Oh no but with your surgery tomorrow I don't think he'll give you an epidural block."

"What am I gonna do?"

"You tell anyone I did this for you, not only will I kill you; I will sell your body parts for cash." Mr. Lamott nodded gratefully.

"Okay. So there were these women. Nurses. Three nurses. And they were….naughty. Really, really, naughty. They were three naughty nurses. Uh saucy even. They were saucy and, and bad and naughty. 3 saucy, naughty, bad nurses. They were taking a shower…together. Soaping each other up. And then this doctor walks in and he sees these 3 naughty bad nurses with these great big…"

Back in the elevator, everything was prepped and ready to go.

"We're really going to do this?" Tyler asked Matt. Jesse put his hand through the doorway, a pair of scissors and a scalpel in his hand.

"Takes these." Tyler froze. "Lockwood, take the scalpel."

"Tyler, ventilate," said Matt as he took the scalpel and scissors. "I got it. What do I do?"

"Make a large anterior lateral, mid-auxiliary incision in the fifth intercostal space," Jesse replied.

"How large?"

"As long as possible. You need to get two hands in there. It needs to be long and deep. Use the scissors if you have to."

"Okay."

"But be sure you don't cut into the lower of the heart."

"Uh, how can I be sure of that?"

"You just have to be sure."

"We're not in Kansas anymore." He started cutting into Pete's chest and a crowd formed around the elevator.

"You guys see anything?" Caroline asked. "Poor, Matt. Doesn't have the steadiest hands."

"Caroline," Meredith sighed.

"Yeah?"

"He can hear you."

"Donovan, how you doing down there?" Jesse asked as the fire department arrived.

"Fire department's here. You can get the doors open," said Meredith to her boss.

"No. Nobody moves. Nobody works on the elevator. I have an open chest and a very nervous intern in there. Keep them back until I give the word." Meredith nodded. "Donovan."

"I didn't cut the heart or the lungs. Dr. Porter, I didn't cut the heart or the lungs!"

"Good, good. Really good. Now check for injuries and do a pericardiotomy."

"Uh, I'll need some lap pads, forceps, metzenbaums and satinksy clamps."

"Yes, you will," Jesse nodded, quietly impressed. He retrieved the materials Matt needed and a few minutes later Matt finished the procedure.

"I've removed the small clot from the pericardium. No obvious cardiac injuries."

"Any change in the vitals?"

"BP's still too low to register on the monitor," Tyler advised.

"We need to cross clamp the aorta," said Jesse. Matt grabbed a clamp from a tray next to him. "Stick your hand in and bluntly dissect down until you feel two tube-like structures. The esophagus will be more medial and anterior." Matt stuck his hand in the open chest.

"I feel one tube that is easily collapsible and the other is more muscular and spongy. I can, ah, feel the spine just underneath it."

"Yes, you're touching the aorta. Wrap the index finger of your left hand around it and apply a satinsky clamp with your right hand." Matt inserted the clamp.

"Got it. Wait, I think I can localize the bleeding. I think it's coming from the inferior vena cava."

"Can you find the lesion?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I think I can feel ah… it's too far in to repair."

"How big is it?"

"Small. Maybe smaller than a dime."

"Okay, Donovan. I want you to take your finger and plug the hole." Matt placed his finger over the hole.

"I think I can feel his heart…starting to fill more. It's beating a little stronger."

"Excellent. Keep your finger there."

"Okay, now what?"

"That's it."

"That's it?" Jesse turned over to lie on his back in relief. "I just stand here with my finger plugging the hole?"

"Until we can get you out of that elevator and into the O.R. Dr. Fell, tell the fire department to get my guys out of there."

"Will do." Jesse rolled back over.

"Donovan."

"Yes, sir?"

"You just flew solo."

"Thank you, sir."

* * *

**Please review! ****And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	23. Don't Forget Me

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

In Mr. Lamott's room, Bonnie was lying down on an empty bed and her patient was completely sedated.

"Oh yes I'm so very, very naughty Bianca said as she dropped her stethoscope." Meredith walked by the room and poked her head in, Bonnie not seeing her. "Me too said Crystal as she snapped on her surgical glove." Meredith grimaced aghast. "And then there was Marta…" She stopped when she saw Meredith looking at her. Bonnie shrugged and gestured at the patient. Meredith walked off, annoyed. "Where was I?"

"Marta."

"Oh yes Marta was the naughtiest nurse of all because she knew how…" Suddenly, the lights and television came back on. "Oh, thank God."

In the main hallway of the surgical unit, Matt and Tyler were outside the elevator. Pete's surgery was a success and Matt was surrounded by police officers congratulating and thanking him. Tyler walked off, despondent.

Meanwhile, Alaric entered Miranda's room.

"I told Grayson that I'm leaving him," she said.

"You left Grayson, Miranda, but I couldn't bring myself to leave Jenna. Do you remember?"

"Painted horses."

"Yes. We were on the carousel in the park. It was raining."

"I have an offer from Boston General."

"You took it to get away. We swore to never to talk again about what we had together. It was gonna always be our secret."

"Alaric."

"Yes, Miranda?"

"Carousels give me the creeps."

Back in Mr. Lamott's room, Mrs. Lamott and Bonnie were off to the side, talking quietly.

"How do you put up with it? I mean 'Nasty Naughty Nurses 4' and I'm assuming 1, 2 & 3," Bonnie asked.

"He's my Henry."

"I know but don't you find him misogynistic and degrading and kind of…24 hours a day of porn. Seriously that's your life?"

"I'm grateful for it. It takes away his pain. You see the thing is Henry takes away my pain." Bonnie slightly smiled, understanding. She left the room and found Elena sitting in the ground floor waiting room of the hospital.

"What are you doing down here?" Bonnie asked.

"Just sitting here with my penis. I kissed Damon."

"You kissed Damon," Bonnie replied.

"In the elevator."

"Oh you kissed him in the elevator."

"I was having a bad day. I am having a bad day."

"So what you do on your bad days is make out with Damon?"

"Well, you know that and carrying around a penis just makes everything seem so shiny and happy. She was wearing my shoes. Weird right?"

"It's weird that you care."

"I think it's weird." Suddenly, there was a commotion in the parking lot. Bonnie looked and ran outside, Elena following her. A guy jumped out of a car, woozy with blood covering his shirt and pants, specifically his genital region. He collapsed on the ground.

"Call security!" Elena yelled to some doctors who arrived to help. When a gurney arrived, Bonnie and Elena lifted him on to it and pushed it down the hospital hallway into the elevator. Meredith greeted them when they arrived on the surgical floor.

"What do we got?" she asked.

"Take a look."

"What?" Meredith lifted up the sheets covering the man and gave Elena a look. "Let's get him to O.R 1. Elena, you call the Chief and let him know that we got the rapist." Elena grabbed her cooler off the gurney as the others headed off. A few minutes later, Elena and Bonnie scrubbed into the procedure.

"I saw Allison. You can't believe the beating that she took. And then to see this?" Elena whispered to Bonnie.

"It's like that old saying you should see the other guy."

"Why are we not attempting to re-attach the severed penis?" Meredith called out.

"Penises don't slice. They tear. You can only re-attach with a clean cut. If she wanted to slice him off with a knife…"

"Besides the digestive juices didn't leave much of the flesh to work with," Elena added.

"Right. So what do we do?"

"Sew him up missing a large part of the family jewels," Bonnie replied.

"And his outlook?"

"He'll be urinating out of a bag for a very, very long time," Elena answered.

"Not to mention he'll never be able to have sex again," Bonnie added.

"Oh, too bad."

"Shame."

"Let's all take a moment to grieve," said Meredith before turning to a scrub nurse. "Clamp."

After the surgery, Elena got lunch and sat down next to Tyler.

"So the police say they can't send the crap crime scene guy down for hours. So I have to spend the rest of my day with the penis." Tyler smirked. "Tyler, don't say it."

"Oh, it was too easy anyway."

After lunch, Elena found Damon by Allison's room, working on a computer.

"So," he began. "We're kissing, but we're not dating?"

"I knew that was gonna come up."

"Don't get me wrong. I like the kissing. I'm all for the kissing. More kissing I say."

"I have no idea what that was about."

"Is it going to happen again?"

"Shut up now." Damon chuckled. "There's this baby up in nursery. He's brand new. No one's neglected him or damaged him yet. How do we get from there to here? She's wearing my shoes and someone's beat the crap out of her. And she's got nobody."

"Well, at least she's awake now."

"Yeah, at least, there's that." Elena pager then went off. "I gotta go see the Chief." Damon nodded. A few minutes later, Elena was signing paperwork in Alaric's office.

"There you go," said Elena. "One penis." Alaric took the cooler off her hands and handed it to a cop." That night, Alaric and Elena went to Miranda's room. Elena's mother was getting into a wheelchair to go back to the nursing home.

"Goodbye, Miranda," said Alaric. Miranda didn't look at him.

"I'm going to come see you tomorrow, okay?" Elena asked, walking up to her mother. Miranda grabbed her arm.

"He doesn't love her. He can't. But he'll stay with her anyway. She's his wife."

"Mom?" Miranda then recognized Elena as she currently is. "Mommy."

"Elena," she smiled. Elena crouched down and Miranda cupped Elena's cheek. "You grew up."

"I did."

"Hmm. It's a shame. It's awful being a grown-up. But the carousel never stops turning. You can't get off." Elena stood back up and nodded to a nurse who wheeled Miranda out of her room. Elena looked at Alaric, pensively.

Downstairs, Damon was sitting in the waiting area of the hospital just outside the main doors. Dr. Fell came up him, looking fairly snazzy, all dressed up.

"Look at you. You're like a…girl." Meredith shot him a look. Damon then noticed a man outside the hospital. "Is that your date?"

"He's my husband."

"You're married?"

"10 years today."

"How come I didn't know you were married?"

"You never asked." Smiling, Meredith left just as Elena left.

"Come on," she said. "We're getting drinks. I think we earned it today." Damon nodded in approval and they left. In the on-call room, Bonnie walked in just as Jesse laid down on a bed.

"What?" Jesse asked.

"I'm trying here."

"Okay?" Bonnie shot him a look. "Oh! Oh."

"Yeah," she smiled.

"So?"

"Okay. We're a couple. Whatever. Don't make a big deal about it!" She kissed him and then left.

At Rousseau's, Elena and Damon were sitting at a table, halfway through their first drink.

"So…this could be just a drink. Or this could be more than a drink," Damon proposed.

"I can not start something with you."

"You could. Start over, Elena. Start fresh. And for the record, I don't run. I don't hide. And I sure as hell don't take space." His pager went off. "Saved by the bell. Order me another bourbon." Elena walked to the bar when Stefan entered and approached his ex-girlfriend.

"Hi. I'm Stefan Salvatore," he said.

"What are you doing?" Elena sighed.

"We met at this bar, remember? We met and you said 'I'm just a girl' and I said 'I'm just a guy' and we started this thing. You didn't know anything about me. The good, the bad, the wife. You didn't even know my name. You didn't know me. I want you to know me. I want to start over, from the beginning. So hi, I'm Stefan Salvatore."

"You're so stupid."

"Elena."

"I don't want to have this conversation again."

"Elena."

"There's too much water under the bridge, Stefan." She turned to walk away.

"Elena."

"What!" she spat.

"Oh. I usually just say Elena and then you yell at me. I haven't thought past that point." Angry, she hit him with her purse. "Ow! Stop it. What do you have in that thing?"

"Seriously?" Elena looked up and saw Damon nearby. "I've moved on. Let it go. Goodbye, Stefan." Elena left the bar and Damon followed after her.

"You didn't have to escort me to the door," said Elena when they arrived at her house.

"I'm a gentleman by nature." Elena chuckled.

"Why do I have a feeling you haven't been a gentleman since the 1800s?" Damon shrugged.

"You gonna be okay?"

"I'll survive. Somehow I always do."

"Really? Tell me. You gonna be okay?" Elena sighed and looked into his eyes. Memories she had with Damon flooded her with emotion.

"We can't kiss again. It's not right." Damon stroked her face.

"I know."

"I can't. It's not right."

"No, it's right. Just not right now." Elena looked at him in surprise and he kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Elena."

"Goodnight, Damon," she whispered as he walked away. She smiled softly and walked into her house.

* * *

**Please review! ****And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	24. Truth

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

"Man, you two suck at this game," Damon smirked as he pocketed a pile of money from a poker table.

"Only because you cheat," Rose pouted. Wednesday nights were poker night for Rose, Marcel, and Damon at the Abattoir and as usual Damon was winning.

"It's not cheating. It's strategy."

"Tell that to my checking account," Marcel grumbled.

"Suck it up, you big babies. One more hand?"

"I'm out," Rose replied.

"Me too," Marcel agreed. "I've got to recoup my losses so I can beat you next week."

"In your dreams," Damon scoffed.

"One last drink before you all head out?" Marcel asked. Rose and Damon nodded. Marcel walked to the drink cart and poured three glasses of bourbon.

"So, Damon, how goes Operation: Woo Dr. Gilbert?" Rose asked. Rose was the only vampire he trusted in the world to carry the secret of his love for Elena. He had told her the story one night over an ancient bottle of bourbon.

"Elena and I are in a bit of a holding pattern," Damon replied as Marcel brought over their drinks.

"Just tell her already," Marcel groaned. "Put us all out of our misery. Elena won't do me any favors any more and maybe if she got a little lovin'…"

"Ha, ha. I'm glad you take light out of my situation, Marcel. My brother really messed with her head. She's…fragile right now, skittish…like a deer."

"Well, maybe she wouldn't be so skittish if you just told her truth," said Rose.

"She wanted to marry me back in 1864, Rose, and now for some strange reason she doesn't remember me from back then. You just don't dump that on one person in one day."

"Well, that's not what I've heard around the water cooler."

"You're such a gossip."

"Admit it. You're intrigued," Rose smirked.

"What have you heard?"

"Oh, now you want to know all my gossip? It'll cost you." Damon rolled his eyes.

"How much?"

"Twenty bucks. I have to buy lunch tomorrow." Damon fished a twenty from the wad of money he'd won from the poker game. He slammed it on the table.

"There? Happy now?"

"Very."

"Gossip. Now!"

"Ooh. Touchy. Well, I heard this straight from the horse's mouth…from Bonnie Bennett herself."

"You mean eavesdropped."

"Heard, eavesdropped, same dif. Apparently, Elena does remember you. She thinks you don't remember her. I'd say your 'holding pattern' is nothing but a case of lack of communication."

"Hmm. Maybe it's time the beans were spilled then."

"May I make a suggestion?" Marcel asked. Damon nodded. "Tell her tomorrow night. She'll be nice and drunk."

"What's tomorrow night?"

"Elena didn't tell you? Forty years ago, there was quite a bit of tension between the vampires and witches. Elena organized a treaty. Every ten years it's renewed."

"Let me guess. Tomorrow you're throwing a party for the renewal?"

"You know how I like parties. Anyway, she'll be there. She takes part in the renewal ceremony as the leader of the witches."

"Will there be booze?"

"And blood, my friend."

"Hmm. Count me in."

"I'll put you on the guest list."

The following morning, Meredith was standing on a street corner when Damon walked up to her.

"Morning, Dr. Fell," Damon greeted.

"Shut up," Meredith murmured, distracted.

"You realize that I'm an attending and you're only a resident? That you work for me, right?"

"I know I've forgotten something. Something is happening today. I know I should know what it is, but I just can't…"

"All right, nice talking with you, Dr. Fell."

"It's right in front of my face…" Damon moved to walk across the street, but Meredith gasped suddenly and pulled Stefan back onto the curb. "Doctor!" Several bike riders raced past and a few of them crashed. "Now I remember!"

After they maneuvered through the crowd, Damon arrived at work and saw Elena leaving the locker room of the hospital.

"You're here early," said Elena.

"I have a chordotomy at 5:00. I'll be out at 6:00. I thought I might buy you breakfast before your rounds."

"I've already eaten."

"What'd you have?"

"None of your business."

"You a cereal person? Straight out of the box? Or all fruit and fiber-y? Pancakes? Do you like pancakes?"

"Fine, leftover grilled cheese. Curiosity satisfied?"

"That's sad. It's pathetic. A good day starts with a good breakfast!" Damon called as Elena walked down another hallway. She found her boss walking with the other interns.

"Fools on bikes killing themselves. Natural selection is what it is," Meredith grumbled.

"So what's up with the Nazi? Is she off her meds?" Tyler asked.

"You've never head of the race?" Matt asked. On the surgical floor, Alaric and Jesse who were standing in front of the OR board were joined by Damon.

"Excellent board. Well-timed, balanced, efficient. If all goes well, we'll have an early night," Ric smiled. Meredith then passed them in the hallway.

"Chief! Dead baby bike race started twenty minutes ago."

"All right, people! Dead baby bike race day!" Meredith and the interns walked downstairs to the Pit and put on yellow trauma gowns."

"Every year, this bar, the Dead Baby Bar, holds this underground bike race," said Matt.

"Don't you wonder why someone would name a bar something so disgusting?" Caroline asked.

"Keep your panties on, Nancy Drew," Bonnie muttered.

"The race is completely illegal," Matt continued. "And–"

"Crazy, a bunch of bike messengers racing against traffic trying to beat each other for free shots of tequila," Elena interrupted.

"All-out, no holds barred competition. Sounds like fun," Tyler replied.

"Yeah, you would think that," Caroline scoffed.

"The race doesn't even have any rules. Except eye gouging. No eye gouging," said Matt.

"Oh great, we're going to be trapped in the Pit bandaging up idiots when we could be up in the O.R?" Bonnie asked.

"Okay people, the rules of trauma!" Meredith yelled. "Don't mingle with the E.R interns, they don't know their ass from their esophagus. Sew fast, discharge fast, take bodies up to the O.R. yesterday. And don't let me catch you fighting over patients. Got it? Come on, let's go." All the interns rushed into the Pit where there were injured bodies everywhere.

"Oh, it's like candy, but with blood, which is so much better," Bonnie grinned. Elena then noticed a guy sitting on a bed with nail spokes coming out of his abdomen.

"Ooh. I'll take that guy," Elena smirked.

"You'll have to beat me to him first," said Tyler. They both pushed their way against each other hurriedly. After they argued a bit, Tyler pulled out a coin. "Heads he's mine, tails he's yours."

"Why do you get to be heads?"

"Because I have a head, and honey, you are a tail."

"How do you manage to make everything dirty?" Tyler flipped the coin and they both looked. "Ha. Tails. There are plenty of other cases."

"So go get one. I was here first."

"I am not backing down so I can do sutures all day while you're up in the O.R. This is a surgical case, and you know it."

"It's superficial. I mean, it's cool, but it's superficial."

"How do you know those things didn't rupture his peritoneum?"

"Because he's sitting up, and he's sitting there talking to us!"

"'Allo. Excuse me, I was wondering if you could take these out, and sew me up, so I can go and win my race?" the patient interrupted.

"Well, we can't just pull them out, I mean, we–" Tyler pulled out a spoke and the man groaned.

"Ow!"

"Do some tests," Elena sighed. Tyler pulled out all the nail spokes. "Are you out of your mind?"

"It's a superficial wound. Sew him up, and let him finish his race."

"You…you!" Elena growled in disbelief as Tyler walked off. She took her patient into a small exam room adjacent to the Pit so she could stich him up.

"You got a nice touch. And by the way, you are a rocking babe."

"Seriously, do you actually think you have a shot here?"

"I like to think I've got a shot anywhere."

"Look, you really have to let me take you for some tests; run a CT. You could have internal bleeding."

"No thank you, I've got a race to get back to."

"Why? You can't win now anyway."

"Doesn't mean I can't cross that finish line. There's a party at the finish line. Do you want to meet me there?"

"One test. A CT. I'll have you out of here in an hour."

"Can't do it, gotta go."

"Okay, well, you realize that you're leaving against medical advice and that I strongly urge you to stay?"

"The frat guy said I could go."

"The frat guy is an ass. You have to sign an AMA form."

"Darlin', I will do anything you want me to." She held out a clipboard for her patient to sign.

"What is it with you guys and your need to dirty everything up?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's just testosterone, eh?"

"Maybe. You might want to see a doctor about that, too." He signed the formed and walked toward the door. However, he turned abruptly, grabbed Elena, and kissed her.

"That was for good luck. Don't worry, darling, you'll see me again." He then left.

"For your sake, I hope not!" Elena shook her head and began to strip the bed. She looked up and saw Damon standing outside through a window watching her. She moved to leave the room just as Damon opened the door.

"What do you want?" Elena asked, trying not to smile. She had to admit this back and forth she had with Damon was fun.

"You make out with patients now?"

"What are you, jealous?"

"I don't get jealous."

"We had sex, once."

"And we kissed, in an elevator."

"And we kissed in an elevator, once!"

"No, seriously, I mean come on, go out with me. You know, I almost died today. Yeah, I came like this close."

"You're a vampire. Does 'this close' mean you almost met a stake?"

"You're so mean to me. How would you feel if I died? And you didn't get a chance to go out with me? Come on."

"It's the chase, isn't it?" Elena asked, wondering how far she could push him.

"What?"

"The thrill of the chase. I've been wondering to myself, why are you so hell bent on getting me to go out with you? You know you're my boss, you know it's against the rules, you know I keep saying no. It's the chase."

"Well, it's fun, isn't it?" Elena shook her head and walked away. Later in the day, Elena was assigned a critical patient by Meredith and was met by an obstacle with a certain staff member that she couldn't overcome. To her irritation, she paged Damon to help her. He was the only one who could help her.

"What's the emergency?" Damon asked, walking over to her.

"I need a favor. A nurse hates me."

"I'm sure all the nurses hate you."

"Yes, well, they love you."

"I think you love me."

"Fine. Okay whatever. Can you just smooth things over so when I go to take my patient back to radiology and get his drain put back in, he doesn't make a scene?"

"Fine. I'll talk to him. On one condition. I hear you're attending a little shindig Marcel's throwing, some treaty renewal business. I'll be there, you'll be there. Have a drink with me."

"You are unbelievable."

"That's why you love me. Because I'm unbelievable. One drink."

"Fine. One drink. There he is." She pointed to the nurse.

"Eli? Two drinks."

"Fine." Damon walked down the end of the hallway to the nurse while Elena watched from the nurse's station.

"Eli! You got a second?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, I don't what's going on, but I know better than to mess with you on your turf so do me a solid. Nod, act as if we're having a big debate here because Dr. Gilbert over there agreed to go out with me if I talk to you."

"She's bossy."

"I know. I dig it."

"What's in it for me?"

"Saints. Sunday. Box seats."

"Parking?"

"Of course."

"Okay." Eli then raised his voice. "Unless Dr. Fell puts that drain in herself…"

"Now mention how highly I think of her."

"I don't care if you think Dr. Gilbert's the best doctor you've seen in this program."

"I understand. I respect that." Damon then left, walking toward Elena. "I did what I could. What time do you get off?"

"What! That's it! You didn't do anything!"

"See you tonight." Elena fumed at Damon. After managing to humiliate herself in front of her boss, Elena got her patient into radiology and then headed for the locker room to change. As she pulled on her blouse and skirt, Tyler burst through the door.

"God! I smell good! You know what it is? It's the smell of open-heart surgery. It's awesome. You gotta smell me." He walked up behind Elena and wrapped his arms around her.

"I don't want to smell you."

"Oh, yes you do." Elena turned around, grabbed Tyler by his shirt, and slammed him against the locker.

"You have got to be kidding me! I have more important things to deal with than you. I have roommates, and boy problems, and family problems. You want to act like a little frat boy bitch? That's fine. You want to take credit for your saves, and everybody else's? That's fine too. Just stay out of my face." The door opened, revealing Damon who was watching, amused. Elena grabbed Tyler's chin so he looked at her directly. "And for the record, you smell like crap!" She turned to go back to her locker and they both saw Damon looking at them.

"She attacked me," Tyler said to Damon. Elena rushed quickly to attack Tyler, but Damon grabbed her.

"Elena!" She let him push her back and he turned to Tyler. "You know you might want to leave. Before I change my mind and let her beat you to a pulp with her tiny ineffectual fists." He guided Tyler out the door holding his arm. Tyler made a 'boo-hoo' face at Elena as Damon closed the door. He turned to look at Elena and sighed. Elena stared at him, breathing a little heavy. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just…" She shook her head. "Nothing. I'll see you later." She quickly left the room and Damon smirked. She so remembered him. He could tell by the hitch in her breath just now. But why was she holding back? The Elena he remembered never held back, especially when it came to him.

* * *

**Please review! ********And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	25. Open Your Eyes

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything! There is SMUT in this chapter. Also, I highly suggest listening to Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol for this chapter. It's quite powerful.**

* * *

Damon stood with Marcel on the balcony overlooking the courtyard. Marcel's home/night club was alive with vampires drinking and dancing to music.

"I must admit. You have quite the operation here, Marcel," said Damon after he took a sip of his bourbon.

"You should thank the Original. He was the one who made all of this possible."

"Niklaus. That's right. He sired you."

"You know him?"

"I've heard the once in a while rumor. I try to stay out of trouble."

"That's not the Damon I remember from the 20s."

"Let's just say after the 50s, a lot of things changed for me. Despite my impulsivity, I've learned the art of caution. Your witches are late."

"They like to make a fashionable entrance." Marcel then noticed the double doors open and a mass of witches entered the courtyard, Elena leading the pack. "Look, there's your girl now."

"She's not my girl…yet." Marcel nodded to one of his guys to cut off the music.

"Make way, boys! Give the witches room." Damon and Marcel then jumped down from the balcony. "If it isn't the lady of the hour. You look absolutely magnificent, Elena."

"Why thank you. I do apologize for our tardiness, Marcel. Some of my witches were questioning the wisdom of this treaty and I had to spend some time teaching them the error of their ways," Elena replied as she removed her red trench coat, revealing a red lace blouse and black and white Aztec print pencil skirt. Diego approached Elena, holding out a hand to take her coat. "Thank you, Diego. Such good manners you vampires have." Diego nodded in thanks. "Nothing like my witches. You all could learn something from them." Damon and Marcel chuckled as some of the witches appeared sick. They definitely didn't want to be there. It was quite apparent Elena was the one driving the show. "Now, let's get to it shall we? I had a long day at work and I would love a bottle of your best wine. What do you bring as your offering to the witches?"

"During these ten years, we have come across a collection of antiquities connected to the Quarter coven as well as the Travellers. Ancient grimoires and talismans that I believe will be useful to your coven. To benefit the city of New Orleans of course. Do you accept?"

"I do."

"What do you bring as your offering to the vampires?"

"Two gifts. One, I would like to leave a surprise if you're agreeable?" Marcel nodded. "Excellent. My other gift to you is the cleansing of this home of evil spirits. My spell will bring your race good luck and ward away any evil or trouble fate has in store for you. I personally designed it myself. Do you accept?"

"I do. Shall we sign the scroll in blood to renew our ten year truce?"

"We shall." Vampire and witch walked to a table set in the middle of the courtyard. Marcel bit his wrist and let a bit of his blood flow into a vial. "Jane-Anne, the dagger." Jane-Anne emerged from the cluster of witches and handed Elena a silver dagger. Elena ran the dagger across her palm, cutting herself. She fisted her hand and let her blood dribble into another vial. Elena and Marcel each took a fountain pen, dipped it in the blood, and signed their names on a tattered scroll.

"It is done. Both sides of agreed to the terms of no violence and with this piece of business now concluded, we can officially begin the countdown to our upcoming founders' day celebration. Now, Elena, would you like me to heal your hand before you perform your spell?"

"I would most appreciate it afterwards, Marcel. My blood is necessary for the spell. Sophie will take your offering. Agnes, the sage and candles please." While Diego and another vampire placed a chest in front of the witches, Agnes emerged from the crowd and handed Elena some sage. Elena tore up the sage into small pieces while Agnes placed a candle east, south, west, and north. Elena stood in the middle of the circle. "The candles represent north, south, east, and west while this sage represents the cleansing power of nature." Elena then dipped her finger into her bloody wound and drew a cross in blood across her chest. "This cross is the symbol of the Travellers. My blood fuels this spell. So your cleansing will be just as strong as I am."

"Sounds complicated," Marcel smirked.

"Not really." Elena sent Damon a wink before returning to her spell.

_Did she just wink at me? What the hell is that about? Is she faking it?_ Damon thought.

"Abit. _(Alight.)_" The candles lit. "North, South, East, West. Septentrio, meridies, oriens, occidens." She moved her hand with each direction before her eyes darkened with Power. "As the candle flame blazes, let all these dark spirits be banished. Exurens flamma quasi candela haec omnia spirituum obscurorum exterminabitur." The height of the candle flames lengthened and Elena gasped. "As the flame has perished in the dirt, let those who oppose my friends come to nothing in their work. Periere flamma quasi lutum, et deficiant adversantes opus amicis. Let thy will be done. Fiat voluntas tua." Marcel noticed a change in the air. The candles died down and Elena's eyes returned to their normal brown. "It is done. And now for my second gift to you. Luceat!" The flames from the candles shot into the air and exploded into fireworks. The vampires clapped at the show.

"I am most impressed, Elena," Marcel clapped. He offered Elena his vial with blood and she ran it across her cut, healing herself.

"Thank you. Well, what are we all doing standing around here like idiots? This is a party! Let's have some…" Elena turned toward her witches and saw them make way for a man she wished to never see again. John Gilbert. "Fun," she groaned. Damon growled.

"Watch it, friend. He's a Traveller," Marcel whispered.

"I know exactly what he is."

"I'm quite hurt, niece. I wasn't invited to your little get-together? You know I've always wanted to meet all your friends."

"Uncle John. What are you doing here?" Elena asked coldly.

"I had some business in town. I thought that a visit to my favorite niece was in order."

"How long are you staying?"

"I don't know yet. Can you at least pretend that you're happy to see me?"

"Oh, Uncle John! It's so good to see you. How have you been?" Elena asked jokingly before becoming serious again. "No, I can't." Some of the vampires chuckled. "You should leave while I still give you the opportunity."

"Such poor manners, Elena. I'm your favorite uncle." Elena chuckled darkly before approaching John.

"You are a disgusting, despicable worm of a human being, a disgrace to all Travellers." The room began to shake. "I should snuff your magic out right now and let you die a miserable human." Marcel and Damon looked at each other in alarm, knowing Elena's magic was spinning out of control.

"Elena, how about that drink? I've got a bottle of red you'll absolutely love," Marcel interrupted quickly as he drew Elena to the stairs leading to his quarters. Diego quickly started the music and the tension left the room.

"Keep that man away from me," Elena whispered to Marcel as they walked upstairs.

"Damon's on it. He knows more about you and your uncle than I do. Now why is that?" Marcel asked as they walked into the study.

"Because if I told you what he did to me, you'd try to kill him…and then you'd be dead."

"And why's that?"

"You're a lot of things, Marcel. Charismatic, diabolical, dangerous, wicked," Elena smirked.

"Why thank you."

"However, you do have some morals. The abuse of children is unacceptable under any circumstances. My uncle has no such morals even towards his own kin." Elena sent a pointed look to Marcel. He grimaced.

"You're right. I am going to kill him for you."

"Don't bother. The man cheats death like you wouldn't believe. Besides, John takes the title of Traveller quite literally. He doesn't stay in one place for too long. He'll do whatever it is he's here to do and then move on. Let him."

"You don't want to find out what he was trying to pull with letting out those tomb vamps?"

"Tonight, Marcel, I want to get drunk and look up at the stars on your roof. Will you let me do that or do I have to do something drastic?" Elena sighed. Marcel handed her a bottle of wine and a glass.

"Knock yourself out. I'll make sure to have some of my vampires posted to the door so don't worry about John disturbing you."

"Thank you," she whispered before leaving. Meanwhile, Damon found John on the balcony of the Abattoir that overlooked a street of New Orleans. John turned to see Damon.

"Damon, right?"

"John. Enjoying the celebration?"

"Not really. Where's my niece?"

"None of your damn business."

"Ah. She told you."

"Yes. And it takes everything in my being not to snap your neck and push you over this rail."

"You were the man in her room." Damon looked to John. "In 1864."

"Yes, I was. I was her fiancé."

"Was?"

"I'm working on it."

"How long you been in town?"

"Not long."

"I heard you guys had a vampire problem. A potential blood bath."

"I wouldn't overreact, John."

"Oh, I think it's like Mystic Falls in 1864 all over again, vampires running amok. I guess we're just gonna have to hunt them down, throw them in a church, and burn them to ash. But they didn't burn in that church, did they? No. They were hidden, waiting for someone, say me, to come along and set them free."

"You know what, even if you weren't a rapist, I'd hate your guts. You're an ass."

"I just thought we get the introductions out of the way."

"You know that I could rip your throat out before anyone would notice?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, okay. But you probably ingest vervain so…"

"Why don't you take a bite and find out?"

"You're not worth sullying my taste buds." Damon started to leave, but then rushed toward John, breaking his neck and throwing him over the balcony. He smirked and a few minutes later, walked back into the party and saw Marcel drinking. "Hey, you want to hear something funny?"

"What'd you do?" Marcel asked, a bit nervous. "You don't grin like that unless you did something stupid."

"I killed Uncle John."

"What?"

"Great party!" Marcel grabbed Damon by the arm. "What?"

"What are you talking about? John's over there." Marcel pointed to the drink cart and Damon was stunned when he saw John. John looked up and waved to Damon. Damon ran back to the balcony, Marcel following him, and looked down over the balcony. John's body was absent.

"Son of a…" Damon then recalled seeing a rather gawdy ring on John's finger, a ring he'd seen before, a ring that was cursed with bringing the owner back to life from death. "You got to be kidding me. Gilbert Ring." The two walked back into the main room where John was drinking and talking with some witches.

"What are you talking about? What's a Gilbert Ring?"

"Look at his right hand. It's a mystical talisman that ring. I ran into one in the 30s that a Gilbert was wearing. Only the men have them. Supposedly, it brings them back from any mystical death. This guy's going to be a pain."

"Let me deal with him. I think you've done enough damage for one night. Elena's on the roof getting drunk. Go up there and make sure she doesn't do something stupid like…fall over the edge," Marcel sighed. Damon walked up the stairs and met two vampires guarding a door. He nodded to them both and they opened the door. As he walked onto the roof, he dodged a glass that hit the door, a glass Elena had thrown.

"Someone's on edge," said Damon as he walked toward the roof's balcony, joining Elena. As he joined her, he took in the roof's surroundings. It wasn't typical for the skyline of New Orleans. Marcel must have dressed it up a bit, knowing Elena would want to use it. Glittering tea lights sent a beautiful glow over the roof and a white bed sat in a small alcove.

"That bastard," Elena cursed before she took a swig of the wine straight from the bottle.

"Yeah, he's kind of an ass. I already hate the guy."

"Welcome to the club." Elena closed her eyes, needing some silence, but all she felt was Damon's eyes on her.

"That was quite the show you put on."

"That's me. The eternal showman."

"Was any of it real?" Elena chuckled. "That's what I thought. Don't worry. I won't tell Marcel."

"Thank you. This treaty has always been and will always be a gigantic farce. I think the dissent between witches and vampires can never be reconciled. I don't really care though. I've never been one for politics. I just keep the peace. If a little show keeps Marcel from ripping out hearts, so be it. I know I agreed to have a drink with you, but as I walked up here, I realized how unfair that was. It's unfair to you and it's unfair to me because nothing has changed." Elena walked toward the door.

"You're wrong. Things have changed. You can't deny that. We've…we've become friends. When you can't talk to Bonnie, you come to me. Why else would you do that…unless we were friends?" Elena stopped walking.

"Maybe…maybe I was just looking for an excuse to spend more time with you." She then resumed walking.

"It's not the chase," Damon whispered. Elena immediately stopped.

"What?"

"You and me. It's not the thrill of the chase. It's not a game. It's…it's your tiny ineffectual fists and your hair."

"My hair?"

"Smells good. You're very bossy, keeps me in line. And…I love you. God, I love you, Elena. You have to know that."

"Stop," Elena whimpered, refusing to turn around.

"I need you to hear it because I need you to believe that I remember everything." Elena gasped and dropped her bottle. Wine covered the floor. "Ah, look at that. You totally wasted a good bottle of wine." Elena whipped around so fast Damon almost didn't catch it even with his enhanced vision.

"What?" she cried.

"You dropped the bottle."

"No. The other…you…you remember?"

"Everything," Damon stepped toward her. "I have since 1912. I have remembered every word exchanged between us, every touch, every look, every kiss. I have searched for you for decades, my love." Damon cupped her face and she sighed into his touch, tears leaking from her eyes.

"You…no…you never said anything."

"I thought you had forgotten me. You were in that temple for so long that I wouldn't have been surprised if you repressed the memories of me that caused you to be put in that place to begin with."

"No," Elena shook her head and her hand clutched his shirt. "I could never forget you. You're my Damon."

"I know it's not fair what I'm asking of you, but let me love you. I know you're scared, but I would never hurt you like Stefan did. Please. Let us be Damon and Elena again." Misty-eyed, Elena rested her forehead against Damon's and closed her eyes, smiling.

"Kiss me." His lips met hers with the full force and passion of a hurricane. Desperate and hungry, Elena kissed him back feverishly. She had missed the feel of his skin against hers and she leaned into him as his hands wrapped around her, one hand against her shoulder blade, the other resting against the small of her back. Elena moaned, her hands crawling up his shoulders into his hair. They both reveled in the electricity that passed between them. Damon couldn't believe it…that she was here finally back in his arms again. It had taken him so damn long to get here and he didn't ever want to have to give her up. Elena took a long breath as his lips separated from hers. "Is this real?"

"It's always been real. I'll always be right here."

"I thought I'd lost you forever."

"It'd never happen. You're imprinted on my soul. You're the only good thing I've got going for me. You are my life." Elena's lips mashed against his and he deepened the kiss.

"Damon."

"I need you." Elena nodded, wanting exactly the same.

With fierce passion, he kissed her and pulled her against him, allowing her to feel the height of his arousal. She ground against him as he kissed down her neck. She ran her hand up against his shirt and began to unbutton it as Damon led her to the bed, pulling down the zipper of her skirt. Lost in every motion and kiss, Elena pushed a shirtless Damon onto the bed and straddled him, now only clad in a red lace bra and matching panties.

"God, you're beautiful," Damon growled as he kissed every patch of skin available to him.

"Make love to me." With a quick flick of the wrist, her bra was gone and before she knew it she was lying on her back, her panties and the rest of her lover's clothes gone. Damon sat up and pulled her on his lap. As his hands tangled in her hair, pulling it away so he could kiss her neck, she sank onto his length and they both moaned in absolute ecstasy, the feeling of being together with no secrets or misunderstandings overcoming them. The way they used to be, that's what it felt like.

"I love you," Elena whispered as he rocked into her.

"I love you. More than you possibly know."

Within moments, they each brought each other to glorious completion and collapsed into each other. Elena laid on his chest and happiness filled her. Elena knew they were meant to be. They always were. Things weren't going to easy, Elena knew that, but what Elena didn't know was that challenges which threatened to tear them apart forever were looming on the horizon.

* * *

**Please review! ********And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	26. Twice

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

With a skip in his step, Damon entered the hospital lobby and headed for the coffee cart where Rose was currently purchasing a drink.

"You look creepily happy for a guy at work at 5 in the morning," Rose grumbled. She then took a closer look at her best friend. "Wait, you're humming. You never hum. Who are you and what have you done with Damon?"

"Ha, ha. Funny. I'm just happy." Rose gasped.

"You had sex!"

"Wow, Rose. I don't think Peds heard you."

"With Elena?" she whispered.

"We're together. The earth is back on its axis."

"You lucky dog." Trevor, Rose's on again, off again boyfriend, then showed up.

"Hey guys." He then noticed wrapped slices of cake on the cart. "Ooh, pound cake. I love pound cake. Rich, buttery pound cake. Yum." Trevor paid for his cake and then left. Damon raised a brow at the strange exchange.

"So what exactly constitutes a pound cake?" Damon asked after Trevor left.

"It's a yellow cake, kind of heavy," Rose replied as he paid for their coffee and they headed down a hallway.

"It's code for something dirty."

"NO!"

"Oh please. Tell me it's dirty. Otherwise, that was the most boring conversation I've ever been a part of."

"We are talking about pound cake because I want to get married and Trevor doesn't. And we're not talking about that."

"How long are you two not going to have that conversation? A year? Two years? Five?"

"Wow, so you and Elena ate pound cake together."

"You're changing the subject."

"How was it?"

"Mind-blowing," Damon grinned. "I pounded her cake, she pounded mine. Excellent pound caking."

"Pound caking is not a thing," Rose replied, sharing Damon's smile. She couldn't help it. It was infectious.

"Whatever. I blew her mind," he laughed. Elena shared the same sentiment as she rode the elevator with Bonnie to the surgical floor.

"Life-changing?" Bonnie asked.

"Earth-shattering. Legendary. He's developed skills I never even knew existed," Elena replied as they exited the elevator and walked into the locker room to change.

"Why is the Nazi making us stay in the Pit two days in a row?" Tyler asked as the girls pulled on their scrubs.

"Leftovers," Elena replied.

"Leftovers?"

"Gotta get the cyclists who were too drunk or too stupid or too scared to get themselves to a hospital yesterday."

"While meanwhile, she gets to do a freakin' organ harvest," Tyler pointed to Bonnie.

"Oh, that kills you, doesn't it?" Bonnie asked as they walked out of the locker room and toward the elevator.

"What?"

"That two women got the harvest."

"No, it kills me that anyone got the harvest but me. Boobs do not factor into this equation. Unless you want to show me yours." Bonnie and Elena rolled their eyes and after a short ride on the elevator, headed into the Pit. Elena and Tyler immediately noticed the patient they fought over yesterday.

"What's Viper doing here?" Elena asked.

"Probably crashed his bike again."

"How long has he been waiting?"

"Don't know. I'm going to go get a real case. He's all yours."

"Viper?" Elena asked, making her way over to the man. "Are you okay?" Suddenly, he started coughing blood and fell to the floor. She lifted up his shirt. His stitches had ripped open and he was starting to bleed out. The wound area was swollen very large. "Tyler, get me a gurney! Now!" Two doctors lifted Viper onto the gurney and Elena sat on top of him, trying to hold his wound closed. Tyler watched stunned. "Call up to the OR and tell them we're coming. Page Fell!"

"Right away," a trauma nurse replied.

"Tyler, let's go." Tyler froze. "Tyler! Push the damn gurney!" Tyler snapped into action and began pushing the gurney out of the pit.

"Clear the way. Coming through. Somebody get the elevator!" A doctor pushed the up button on the elevator and Tyler pushed them into the small space.

"Hurry. I don't know how long I can keep this wound closed," said Elena. The doors closed and they watched as the numbers on the elevator ticked up slowly. "Move faster, damn it!" The doors finally opened and the gurney was wheeled into an OR where a surgical team was prepping, including Dr. Fell.

"Well, this is a new one," Meredith said. "Somebody get her off my patient." Elena climbed down. "Elena, go get cleaned up and scrub in. Tyler, get back downstairs."

"But I helped."

"Helped? Yeah, they tell me down in the Pit that you only want to take the hot cases. In every pack of interns, there's always one fool that's running around trying to show off and Tyler, this time that fool is you. Get out." Tyler stormed off.

Meanwhile, Damon was in his office, pouring himself a glass of blood from his refrigerator, when he heard a knock at his open door.

"Stefan. Would you like one?"

"Sure." Damon pulled out another glass and filled it with the rest of his blood bag.

"We're talking now?"

"Alaric gave you an office. A name plate too," Stefan observed as he sat down in a chair across from Damon's desk.

"Yeah, well, I am the Head of Neurosurgery."

"So you're really staying here."

"Did you think I wasn't?"

"You're…you. You say a lot of things you don't mean. You plot, you scheme. I haven't noticed that lately. Why did you really come here?"

"I like New Orleans. I have friends here." Stefan raised a brow. "Is it really so shocking to you that maybe I just missed my little brother?" It wasn't a total lie. Damon had missed Stefan, just like he had missed Elena. A hundred years was a long time to hold a grudge. Stefan looked at his brother thoughtfully. "Just say it, Stefan, whatever it is. Purge, get it out."

"I've missed you too, brother, but…I don't trust you. However, if you're here to stay, I know I'll regret it if I don't try to forgive you. But I can only do that if you do something for me."

"Name it."

"I know that you and Elena have…bonded. I know that she cares about you and…I know you care about her."

"Well, this is going in an interesting direction."

"I'm just concerned about Elena being hurt. She considers you a friend."

"Same here. Elena is a very good friend. Is that a problem?"

"At the risk of sounding like…a jealous ex-boyfriend."

"Oh, there's no risk. You do."

"We both know how it ended with Katherine. History will not be repeating itself where Elena is concerned. I don't have a problem with you two being friends, but that's where it stops…at friends. If you truly want to be my brother again, you'll do this for me." Damon knew he was at a turning point, a crossroads. He would never be given another opportunity like this with Stefan, his baby brother, again. "Do we have a deal?"

"Yeah," Damon replied softly. "We have a deal."

"Great. I'll see you around." Stefan then left and Damon sank into his chair. He couldn't believe he'd agreed to Stefan's terms. The words had just come out. He hadn't even thought about the consequences for Elena. This was a disaster. The whole reason he'd come back to New Orleans was for Elena, but he couldn't help wanting his brother back too.

Later in the evening, Rose stopped by his office and she noticed her friend seemed to be in a state of panic. His back was rigid and his mind was racing.

"You okay?" she asked before plopping into a chair.

"I did something stupid…very, very stupid. I'm an idiot. This is a bad day, a very bad day." Damon then looked up from his desk to see a very disheveled Rose. "Whoa. You look like crap."

"I broke up with Trevor."

"Like five second break-up or break-up, break-up?" Rose shot him a sharp look. "Sorry. That sucks."

"What'd you do?"

"I did something I shouldn't have."

"Well, that's par for the course with you."

"Stefan wants to be my brother again."

"That's great."

"On the condition I stay away from Elena."

"Oh. That's bad. Please tell me you said 'Stefan, go to hell.'" Damon looked away. "Damon! You're an idiot."

"I know! That's what I've been saying."

"Call him and tell him the deal's off. The whole reason you came back was for Elena."

"I know, Rose! But…I'm…conflicted. I've kind of missed him. Tell me what to do."

"No way. I'm not touching this one. This is your mess, you get yourself out of it."

"Rose."

"Don't you Rose me. Can you seriously not let yourself be happy for one second? You're going to be miserable."

"You don't know that."

"Damon, I've known you for eighty years and all you've ever wanted is Elena. Not Stefan."

"Maybe she'd understand."

"Did you see the way she chewed out the entire staff on three with that pregnant guy? She has a bit of a temper…like a certain vampire who's my idiot best friend."

"I'm screwed."

"Well, I do know one thing you need to do."

"What's that?"

"You have to tell her. As soon as possible."

"Yeah," Damon agreed. "I'm going to do it tonight."

"Call me afterwards. We'll go drink our sorrows at Rousseau's." Damon nodded and Rose headed for the door. "Well, look who it is. Elena." Damon noticed Elena by the doorway.

"Dr. Adair," Elena greeted. Rose sent Damon a worried look before leaving.

"You ready to go to dinner?" Damon asked, getting up from his chair.

"Sit," Elena replied sternly as she shut the door.

"Oh, crap. How much did you hear?"

"I heard enough," Elena answered calmly.

"Listen, I know you're mad, but I was so sure it was the right thing. You know why? Because of you. For the first time in my life, I know what the right thing is. You bring it out in me."

"I'm not mad, Damon."

"You're not?" he asked, skeptically.

"Okay, maybe I am a little, but I understand why you're doing it which makes it really hard for me to as Rose put it…chew you out. You and I are more alike than you realize. I have a brother too." Damon looked at her in shock. "Had a brother."

"Sorry."

"No. He's not dead. We just…we don't talk anymore. As a matter of fact, we don't even live in the same hemisphere. We're estranged…and it's my fault."

"Well…" Elena raised her hand.

"Let me just say what I want to say. Okay?" Elena asked as she leaned against the desk, standing in front of Damon. "I had a brother, a little brother. I practically raised him. When I was locked in the temple, he was the one who would bring me my food and we would…chat. Until the elders caught him lingering for too long. They dragged him to the village and then had someone else bring my food. But that's beside the point. I don't blame you for my Awakening, but…my brother did. He grew to hate vampires. He bought in to all that garbage the witches spout about them. He asked me about you and I told him enough to satisfy his curiosity. He asked me a question and I knew that my answer would change everything. He asked me if I had to choose between you or him, who would I pick?"

"That's an impossible choice."

"No. It's not. At least, it wasn't for me." Elena stroked his face.

"You picked me?"

"I did and after that, I never saw or heard from my brother again. In fact, according to the nursing home, he refuses to visit Mom anymore because he knows I'm taking care of her. He wants nothing to do with me."

"He's a dick."

"He couldn't believe that I would pick a vampire over a witch, the man I love over my own flesh and blood. And I don't regret it. I've never regretted it," Elena's voice broke as she paced the room. "I've come to terms with my decision because I don't want someone in my life who can't accept me for who am I and for who I love! You're faced with that same decision right now. You just don't see it. And I'm not going to ask you to pick because it's unfair, it's cruel, and partly because I'm absolutely _terrified_ that you would pick him over me." Tears trailed down her face. She closed her eyes.

"Elena."

"No, I'm not done. I'm not done," she whimpered.

"Okay, okay."

"I love you. I'll always love you. But you love him too. I can see it. I'm not blind. So…I'm not going to ask you to make a choice, but eventually that time is going to come for you. Whether you want to make a choice or not, you're going to have to and you are going to have to live with the consequences of that decision. Like I have. You can't have your cake and eat it too. I won't…I refuse to be the girl you see and sleep with behind closed doors while you pretend to be the perfect brother for Stefan."

"I would never ask you to do that."

"Good, good. I'm glad. I want you to have your brother back, Damon. I do. I don't want to be the person who drives you apart. You waited for me…for a hundred years and I know you would wait for an eternity if you had to. But I don't have that kind of time. I'm not like you. I'm not a vampire. I'm a witch. I'm a Traveller. We're semi-immortal. We're vulnerable to disease. I don't know how long I'll live so I have to live every day like it's my last. For so long, I've stayed still, never moving forward, and I'm not going to do that anymore. I have to move forward…with or without you. I'll wait for as long as I can, Damon, but I won't wait forever. When I walk out this door, I will do things that you won't like. I'm a screw-up. You want to know how I deal with pain? I sleep with inappropriate men, most of the time pretending they're you. And I'm sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am, but I don't know any other way. And I only hope you won't hate me."

"I could never hate you. When I say I love you, I don't just love a part of you, Elena. I love all of you. I always will."

"Thank you. I just have one last thing to say. I will always be your friend, I will always love you, but I won't stay still anymore. I want you to make me a promise. Promise me you will really try for your brother or else we're both needlessly hurting each other with this. Promise me, Damon."

"I promise."

"When you've made that decision that inevitably you're going to make, come find me, but for right now, I'm going to walk out this door and try not to cry and you're going to let me. Okay?"

"Okay." Elena took a deep breath, turned around, and headed for the door. She then paused.

"Damnit. One for the road." She ran back to him and kissed him. Tears trailed down her face when she pulled away and ran out of the room. She mashed the button on the elevator and when it opened, she rushed in. As sobs overcame Elena, the doors closed.

* * *

**Please review and don't kill me for this tearjerker. Just another bump in the road for our lovely Delena! ************And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	27. Ride

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

"Wow. Elena sure is a bigger woman than I thought," said Rose as she and Damon walked onto the surgical floor.

"She's not even acting like she's mad. Definitely not what I was expecting."

"It's been a week, right?"

"Yeah."

"How you doing?"

"I've been better, but I think I might know something that will cheer me up," said Damon, spotting a blonde head by the nurse's station. "Who's the blonde?"

"I don't know."

"Excuse me." Rose rolled her eyes as Damon walked to the blonde. "Must suck to work on Valentine's Day. I don't believe we've met." Damon was shocked when the blonde turned around and he was met by Elena's face. "Ah! Elena! What'd you do to your hair!"

"I colored it. Wait. You thought I was someone else. You didn't know it was me and you were hitting on me!"

"No. I pretty much thought you were some blonde. Wait, did you dye your hair because of me?"

"Get over yourself. I did this for me. For once, something I did had absolutely nothing to do with you."

"Well, you're no blonde. You can't pull that off. Blondes are either badass or fun and you're a brunette," Damon quipped before walking away.

"Damn!" Tyler whistled.

"Shut up!" Elena yelled before walking off. Down another hallway, Alaric was talking to Dr. Fell.

"Congratulations," he said.

"For what?"

"Fellowships. Five applications. Five offers. Do you know how rare that is? This is your year. Everybody wants to dance with you. Of course TMC's fellowship program is the best."

"Yeah," Meredith muttered, distracted. She wandered a few feet away, going over a patient file, and Alaric, disconcerted, followed her.

"You are taking my fellowship offer?

"I don't know. I haven't made a decision yet." She walked off, leaving Alaric slightly shocked.

In the staff locker room, Bonnie was trying on various dresses. She was wearing a red dress over her scrubs and held up a light purple dress and a pale white flowery one to Caroline to look at.

"They're both really nice," Caroline replied.

"I know. I bought them. But which one is right?"

"For what? You're gonna look hot in either one."

"Well clearly. That's not the point," said Bonnie as Elena and Matt entered.

"Wow, you look hot," said Elena.

"Yeah. Jesse and I are gonna talk about how hot I am over dinner. This date is such a mistake."

"But it's easy to get nervous on dates. It's especially hard if you're out of practice so you just got be mellow…"

"Yeah, I know how to date, Matt. I'm not you. I can do hot in my sleep. I look hot in scrubs. I'm a hot person. He's seen my naked a thousand times." Matt walked away, closing his eyes painfully.

"Bad, bad images in my head," he muttered.

"But he's never seen you outside the hospital," Elena remarked pointedly.

"Thank you," Bonnie murmured sarcastically.

"Caroline, I'm going on my break. Will you cover for me? I need to visit my mom."

"Yeah, sure."

A few minutes later, Elena walked into the nursing home and was shocked when she saw Damon talking to her mother. Immediately, she pulled him into the hallway.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "You were at work."

"And now I'm on my break."

"Damon. What are you doing here?" Damon just looked at her. "Damon!"

"Oh, sorry. The blonde is very distracting."

"I'm changing it when I get home."

"So you did do it for me."

"Damon," she gritted.

"Fine. There is a clinical trial to slow the progression of early onset Alzheimer's." Elena let out a breath.

"Okay, me you can screw with. My mother, no. Not acceptable."

"Well, there has been some really promising results from similar studies in Europe. Your mother is a prime candidate."

"My mother is very sick and has very few good days. And I don't want her to be poked and prodded for some experimental program."

"I'm just trying to help."

"I know, Damon," Elena sighed. "But what you're doing, being…you…it doesn't help. It hurts me. It messes with my head."

"I know the feeling."

"I don't doubt that." Damon nodded.

"I'm going to go. Okay?"

"Thank you." Elena sighed when he left. She had been trying to keep her anger reigned in all week, but today everything seemed to be bubbling up to the surface.

When Damon arrived at the hospital, he walked with Alaric down a hallway.

"I saw Miranda," Damon said.

"And?"

"I think I can get her into the clinical trial. She's the perfect candidate."

"Excellent. Thank you, Damon."

"You realize this requires Elena's power of attorney?"

"Yeah."

"Might be better if it's coming from you. With me there's…stuff. You, you're just trying to help out a friend."

"What do you mean…stuff?"

"We got back together."

"That's great!"

"And after a day broke up."

"What?"

"Blame my brother and my own inability to stop making reckless decisions. Just talk to Elena. Let me know if she wants me to make the call." Damon walked off, leaving Alaric pondering his own true intentions.

That night, Jesse and Bonnie walked to Jesse's car all dressed up and ready for their date.

"You look lovely," Jesse complimented.

"Thanks." She quickened her pace a little and went to open the door for herself but Jesse reached for the door simultaneously. "Oh. Very polite." He opened the door for her and she got in. Jesse closed the door and walked to the driver's side, trying to shake off his nerves. When they arrived at the restaurant, a hostess took them to a table for two and they began to look over their menus.

"Should I send the sommelier?" a waiter asked.

"Oh no. That won't be necessary. What is a nice oaky chardonnay?" Jesse asked.

"Oh, I want Bordeaux," Bonnie interrupted.

"Chardonnay will be better with the lobster."

"I'm having steak."

"You eat red meat," Jesse asked, shocked.

"You don't?" After the awkwardness settled, they ordered their dinner and ate silently.

"Maybe we should probably skip dessert. I have an early morning," said Bonnie.

"Oh, right. Not a problem." Suddenly, a man from a table near the window collapsed.

"Oh my God. Help! Is there a doctor in here?" the man's wife, Talia, called out. Both Bonnie and Jesse looked over and stood up.

"Yes!" they replied. They ran over to the collapsed man.

"Call 911," said Bonnie.

"He couldn't be having heartburn. I thought he was choking," said Talia.

"Pulse?" Jesse asked.

"Rapid and unequal."

"Look at this. The length of his fingers."

"He's gotta be at least six foot four."

"Marfan's," they both surmised.

"What do his fingers have to do with it?" Talia asked.

"Your husband is showing classic markers for Marfan's syndrome," Bonnie explained.

"It means the walls of his blood vessels are weak.

"Uh, we need an ambulance.

"Fast. He could be dissected here. We need to get him to the OR."

"What if the aorta ruptures?"

"What are you talking about? Who are you people?" The paramedics arrived then. They placed Talia's husband on a stretcher. Jesse accompanied to the paramedics while Bonnie spoke on the phone with the hospital.

"We have a dissected thoracic aorta. We need a CT cleared and an O.R ready." The paramedics began to wheel the patient out of the restaurant.

"Start another large boar IV. Continue high O2. Transport him sirens and lights to Tulane Medical Center," Jesse ordered.

"Who the hell are you?" the paramedic asked.

"Hey!" Bonnie yelled. "He's the cardiothoracic surgeon who's gonna operate on him."

"And she's with me," Jesse replied, pleased. When they arrived at the hospital, they washed up in the scrub room.

"Did you see that echo?" Jesse asked Bonnie.

"Dissection isn't subtle."

"Did you see that wingspan? And the pectoris carnia?"

"What about his palate?"

"The definition of high arched. I thought tonight you could give me an answer to my question."

"Your question?"

"About you…moving in."

"I don't have an answer."

"Bonnie."

"I'm not being Bonnie. I just don't have an answer."

"Then answer me this. What were you planning to do?"

"About what?"

"The baby." Before Bonnie could answer, a scrub nurse entered the room.

"Dr. Porter, we're ready for you." Bonnie and Jesse walked into the OR.

Meanwhile, Dr. Fell was in front of the OR board when Alaric joined her.

"You need something, Chief? I have one more surgery and then I'm free."

"No."

"Okay."

"Have you made a decision yet?"

"Sir?"

"The fellowship. The Tulane Medical fellowship. I thought you would've accepted by now."

"I've just haven't had a chance to fill out…"

"We're a private hospital. We have extensive resources. You'll get more surgical experience here than anywhere else. You could write your own ticket. Why aren't you more excited?"

"No, I'm exited. I'm just…"

"You're being wooed aren't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"LA Med, Chicago Central. They're wooing you. I mean you're fielding offers. You're looking at bonus packages. You're letting yourself be wooed."

"No, Chief."

"No, it's fine! Fine. Go be a hotshot somewhere else. But tell me…how could you do this to me? I mean, I'm hurt. Really hurt. After all I've done for you. You're gifted and you're ungrateful. That's all I'm saying."

"I'm pregnant, you blind moron," Meredith replied, annoyed.

"You're what?" Alaric asked, shocked.

"My heart rate is 110. I'm burning 3000 calories a day. My legs are swollen. I've got indigestion and gas. Did you know that carrying a boy in your uterus means you burn 10% more calories than if you had a girl? Guess what I'm carrying! I try for seven damn years and a month before my fellowship notifications the stick turns blue. Men! From the very beginning they just suck the life right out of you. I'm not leaving. I'm pregnant."

"Um…congratulations." Meredith then walked away, grumbling. Elena noticed Alaric, standing by the board, and approached him.

"Chief," she greeted.

"Elena."

"Saw my mother this morning and, uh, during lunch."

"Did you? How is she?"

"She's fine."

"I'm glad to hear it. Give her my best."

"I saw you there. This morning. At the nursing home with my mother."

"Oh."

"They said you go to her three times a week."

"Whenever I can."

"Why did you keep it a secret?"

"I don't know. Would you like me to stop going?"

"Do you think she's lonely? My mother?"

"Yeah, I do."

"I think you should keep visiting her."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. She lights up when you're around. She's alive."

"The program Damon recommended to you was a favor to me."

"Nice try," Elena scoffed. "I know you two are friends. You can't fool me."

"Sometimes, Elena, a favor is just a favor. This treatment won't cure your mother. It won't give her a new lease on life but it may give her more good days. I urge you to consider."

After surgery, Bonnie and Jesse came down to the waiting room to speak with Talia.

"Well it took three hours but the surgery went perfectly. All we have to do is wait now and see how he's doing when he wakes up," said Jesse.

"Why did this happen?"

"Almost every patient with Marfan's has an aorta that fails. It's just a matter of when."

"I guess it was lucky you two were having dinner at the next table."

"It was. Take care." The two doctors walked away toward the elevator.

"I wasn't going to have it. The baby. And you don't get to be mad about that. We barely knew each other. I was an intern and there was no way I could've-"

"I'm not mad."

"You're not?"

"No. I just wanted to know. I wanna know things. I guess we never really got our date."

"Are you kidding? That was the best date I've ever been on."

Upstairs, Elena spotted Damon in his office and knocked on the door.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey back."

"I owe you an apology. I've been a little short with you today and you didn't deserve that, especially with the thing with my mother."

"I'm the one who screwed us up. You don't have to apologize."

"I do. You were just trying to help, trying to be a good friend."

"I want you to be mad at me. I don't understand why you're not."

"I've…lived a lot longer than you. For a hundred years I was locked inside a room without any windows, no human contact. The one emotion I felt more than sadness or loneliness was anger. I was angry with my parents, myself, the world, but…it didn't change anything. It didn't make me feel better, Damon. Anger…it's the most pointless emotion I know. It's like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else except you're the one who gets burned. It doesn't solve our problems. Our current reality is what is. I accept that. So, no, I'm not going be angry every time I look at you. Annoyed, maybe. But I love you too much to let anger consume me."

"I'm a dick. You're a better person than I could ever hope to be," Damon sighed, feeling terribly guilty at the situation he'd stuck her in. Elena chuckled.

"It's okay. The moment I met you I kind of knew what I was getting myself into. It doesn't bother me. Does the situation suck? Yeah, it does. Am I going to give you a little hell for it? Maybe. Do I wish things were different? Absolutely, but I'm willing to play the cards I've been dealt. So…tell me about this program."

* * *

**Please review! ****************And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	28. Save Me

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

Elena was drinking a cup of coffee and texting on her phone at the nurse's station when Bonnie approached her.

"Why aren't you prepping for rounds and stealing all the good cases?" Elena asked.

"Well, why aren't you prepping for rounds and stealing all the good cases?"

"No reason," Elena shrugged.

"No reason?"

"I'm waiting for Stefan."

"I'm avoiding Jesse."

"Why are you avoiding Jesse?"

"He thinks I moved in with him. Why are you waiting…"

"Stef is doing me a favor. Jesse thinks you moved in with him?"

"Wait, why are you even talking to Stefan?" Damon then approached the nurse's station. A devilish smirk appeared on Elena's face.

"Watch this. I've been weirding him out all day." Bonnie watched in amusement as Elena approached him.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey."

"I've been advised to seek out sex as a way out of my sad predicament, but I think I would rather just learn today, so…what do you say? You, me…" At the mention of sex, Damon immediately stopped what he was doing and looked at Elena. Bonnie giggled to the side.

"Why are you talking about sex to me? It's inappropriate. I made a deal with Stefan and…I'm your teacher. I have things to teach. Medical…things."

"That what I was talking about. The medicine. The sex…that was a joke, Damon," Elena laughed. "I told you I was going to give you a little hell, didn't I?"

"I hate you," he deadpanned as he headed for a hallway with his chart.

"No, you don't. You love me."

"You're evil."

"Oh, you're just too easy." Elena then walked away, laughing with Bonnie. She then spotted Stefan. She walked over to him and Bonnie couldn't help but wonder why she was talking to that jerk. A few minutes later, Stefan and Elena were in an empty trauma room. Elena was sitting on a table while Stefan drew her blood.

"Thank you for doing this. With the needles and the blood. They won't accept my mother into the clinical trial Damon's arranging without a full family history."

"I'm happy to get your mom into the clinical trial. Even with the needles and blood." He then placed a Band-Aid on her air. "All done. How's that feel?"

"Feels good. I heard you're trying to forgive Damon."

"Yeah, well, he's not exactly easy to love."

"Give him a chance. He does really want this."

"You should know that I'm not going to divorce Lexi. I think we need to try again."

"I'm glad…that you're trying. You wouldn't be you if you weren't the kind of person that was trying to make it work."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. Means I wasn't wrong about you."

"Thanks."

"Goodbye, Stefan."

"Goodbye, Elena. I'll make sure to get this to Damon." Elena then left and found Bonnie in the hallway. They walked down to surgical together.

"So Jesse thinks you moved in with him? What does that mean?"

"Okay, it's not important. What are you doing talking to Stefan?"

"It's nothing."

"What are you doing?"

"What are you doing?"

"Stop repeating what I say."

"Stop asking me questions." Caroline then passed by them.

"Hey, you guys know where Fell is?"

"She went on maternity leave. Didn't you hear?" Elena replied.

"Great. I'll catch you guys at lunch."

"I've got patients to see. I'll find you later," said Elena before she entered the stairwell. As she walked up the steps, she ran into Jesse.

"Hey, Elena, do you want to come over for dinner?"

"What?" Elena asked, shocked.

"Dinner. Our place. Mine and Bonnie's."

"Why?"

"You're Bonnie's best friend. I want her to feel welcome to have friends in our home."

"Oh, so she moved in with you?"

"Yes. Didn't she tell you?"

"Of course she told me. Why wouldn't she tell me? She's in, right? Which you know I think is great. I have to run," Elena replied quickly before leaving.

Meanwhile, Bonnie was waiting for an elevator. When it opened, Stefan was inside, still waiting for his floor.

"Great," she grumbled as she entered.

"What's your problem?" Stefan asked as the doors closed. Angry, Bonnie whipped around to confront Stefan.

"You. You're my problem."

"I'm your boss. What's the matter…"

"No, you're not my boss right now."

"Dr. Bennett."

"You know just for a moment, I'm not Dr. Bennett and you're not Dr. Salvatore. You're the guy who lied to Elena."

"I never lied to her!"

"You know what? I know a liar when I see one. And don't interrupt me. You're the guy who screwed up my best friend! You're the guy who has taken away any chance she has at truly being happy. Think about that the next time you see her." The doors opened and Bonnie swiftly left.

Later, Bonnie and Elena were watching a surgery be performed in the gallery.

"Your ex-boyfriend's an ass," Bonnie muttered.

"What?" Elena asked.

"I'm on his service today. He's making me stand at the back of the O.R while he re-attaches this guy's fingers. I can't even touch a retractor. I hate him."

"Did you move in with Jesse or not?"

"I told him I moved in with him. I'm keeping my old apartment." Elena shot her a surprised look. "What? I sleep with Jesse every night. My clothes are there. So I still have my apartment, big deal."

"You have to tell him."

"Actually I don't."

"So I'm supposed to go to dinner at your fake apartment with the guy you fake live with?"

"Oh, I would never have you over to dinner with Jesse. That's weird."

"This is my point. Stop with the lying."

"And you're being honest? That last time you asked Stefan for a favor you were dating him."

"Sometimes, Bonnie, a favor is just a favor," Elena replied, remembering Alaric's wise words.

"Uh huh. Fine, if you want me to tell Jesse I didn't move in I'll tell him."

"No," Elena sighed. "Don't."

"What?"

"Don't tell him. At least not right now or tonight. I just mean wait. It can wait. You want to know why I asked Stefan for that favor?" Bonnie nodded. "I wanted to make sure he was really trying to be brothers again with Damon. To make sure all this, heartbreak was worth it."

"Is it?"

"I don't know."

After work, Stefan and Lexi were having dinner at a restaurant near the hospital.

"Lexi, there's something you should know," said Stefan as he nursed his glass of scotch. "About Elena." Lexi looked up from her wine, instantly on guard. "She wasn't a fling. She wasn't revenge. I fell in love with her. That doesn't go away because I decided to stay with you."

* * *

**Please review! ************************And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	29. Go Mad

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

Elena looked out the window over her bedroom that overlooked her mother's rose garden while Matt and Caroline stood at her bedside.

"I'm just not going," Elena murmured.

"You have to go to work. You're an intern. Saving lives is not optional," Caroline replied.

"Yes, it is. I'm staying home."

"You're supposed to be helping," Caroline whispered to Matt. Matt moved to sit down on Elena's bed.

"Uh, Lena, maybe, um, there'll be a horrible accident nearby the hospital. Cut a bunch of people open. Sternotomies, craniotomies. That'd be fun, right?"

"I don't care about surgeries." She grabbed the pillow next to her and pulled it over her head. Realizing they were going to have to resort to drastic measures, they called over Bonnie.

"You have…a feeling?" Bonnie asked skeptically. Elena removed her pillow to see only Bonnie standing in the room.

"Yes."

"Okay, what kind of feeling?"

"Like I might die."

"Today? Tomorrow? In fifty years? Cause we're all gonna die eventually, but now we're late. Let's go."

"Bonnie! Come on." Bonnie sighed and sat down on the bed.

"Okay. This is me being supportive."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm totally supportive. Go."

"Are Caroline and Matt gone?"

"I sent them away to the hospital," said Bonnie, knowing the stem of Elena's fear was most likely Damon. Bonnie knew it was only a matter of time before her friend cracked.

"Okay," Elena sat up, "I lied."

"About what?"

"I lied to Damon. I told him that I don't get angry, that I'm not angry at him, but I am. I lied to spare him the guilt, a guilt that would crush a vampire, even one as strong as him. He promised me today, Bonnie."

"Promised you what?"

"He proposed to me on this day in 1864. He promised me that we would be together forever. He promised me. And now, my ex-boyfriend stole my fiancé." Bonnie sent Elena a confused look. "Fine. My fiancé chose my ex-boyfriend over me. But that doesn't change the fact that Stefan stole _my_ fiancé, _my_ Damon. My life! And what have I got? Nothing. Plus my conditioner decided to stop working and I think I have brittle bones. I just need something to happen. I need a sign that things are going to change. I need a reason to go on. I need some hope. And in the absence of hope I need to stay in bed and feel like I might die today." Bonnie stood up thoughtfully for a second before yanking the sheets away from Elena.

"Whatever! Everybody has problems. Now get your ass out of bed and get to work! Now! Move! Move! Move!" She kicked Elena out of bed who disapprovingly made her way to get ready.

When Elena arrived at work, she was assigned to work in the Pit with the rest of the interns. Noticing there weren't enough Pit gowns, she went into the supply closet to find one for herself. She bristled when Damon walked in as she pilfered some boxes.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," Elena replied coldly.

"Do you know where they keep the IV kits?" Elena tossed him a bag. "Are you going to say more than monosyllables?"

"Stop. Talking," Elena whispered, her eyes closed, her pain quite apparent.

"Elena."

"Just stop! You want to have your brother back? That's fine! But just leave me alone today. Please."

"Sure." Stefan then appeared in the doorway of the closet.

"Brother. Dr. Gilbert," he greeted.

"I needed medical supplies. Found the intern in the supply closet. Did not invite the intern into the supply closet," Damon quickly said.

"Hmm," Stefan replied. Elena rolled her eyes and left.

"Stop looking at me like that, Stefan. I didn't do anything."

"Don't do anything."

"I didn't."

"Don't."

"I didn't!" Stefan then left and joined Alaric and Jesse by the OR board. Alaric looked very uneasy, unnerved by the few surgeries scheduled on the board.

"Quiet board," said Jesse.

"I know," Alaric replied.

"That's a bad sign."

"I know that. Don't you think I know that?"

"Wow, he's in a bad mood," said Stefan to Jesse.

"I can hear you talking about me."

"We're just saying."

"Quiet board means trouble. A quiet board is death! A quiet board bodes bad news!" Alaric turned around to face them. "And stop looking at me like that!" He walked away.

"Dr. Salvatore," Jesse nodded before beginning to walk off.

"Dr. Porter! You and I, we've known each other for a while now."

"Yes."

"We've done several successful surgeries together."

"Yes."

"Your girlfriend is my ex-girlfriend's best friend."

"Yes."

"Why can't we call each other by our first name?"

"I don't think so."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously, Dr. Salvatore." He walked away.

Downstairs, Elena, Caroline, Tyler, Bonnie, and Matt were making their way to the double doors where patients came in.

"I haven't been in the O.R in two days. I'm getting some O.R time," said Bonnie to Caroline. "We haven't had a decent resident this week."

"Oh, the last two weren't that bad."

"Doesn't matter which resident we get. They suck," Tyler said.

"They all sucked," Matt added. "I miss Dr. Fell."

"Yeah, which surgeon are we going to have to suck up to today?" Bonnie asked.

"That would be me!" Meredith yelled. They all turned around, startled, and saw a very pregnant Dr. Fell standing behind them.

"Dr. Fell?" Bonnie asked.

"I've been gone two weeks. Two weeks! And you ran off two residents! I've got people phoning me at home, screaming telling me my interns are Rosemary's babies. Nobody wants you! Do you think I have time for this? I am pregnant! I'm supposed to be on bed rest. I'm supposed to be growing a human being. I'm supposed to be calm! Do I look calm to you? Did I raise you fools to be pariahs? Bennett, Lockwood, Gilbert, stay here and wait for the incoming case. Donovan, page Lexi Salvatore. Forbes, get a wheelchair.

"A wheelchair?"

"A wheelchair."

"What do you want me to tell Dr. Salvatore-Branson when she answers her page?" Matt asked. Caroline came with a wheel chair. Splash! Meredith and Matt looked down. Matt took a step back.

"Tell her my contractions are ten minutes apart and my water just broke all over your shoes," Meredith replied as she sat in the wheelchair.

Suddenly, an ambulance came in. Bonnie and Tyler opened the doors and saw a paramedic helping a very powerfully screaming lady out of the ambulance. Tyler and Bonnie looked past the lady who Elena took into the hospital. Another paramedic was in the ambulance, very nervous. Tyler noticed she had her hand inside the patient's very large chest wound.

"Dude," he gasped.

"Yeah," Bonnie replied.

After getting the patient and the paramedic into the pit, Bonnie went to notify Jesse of the case in the hospital stairwell.

"James Carlson. Aged 46. Paramedics found him unconscious and bleeding. Mechanisms of injury are unknown but he has a large sucking chest wound. And a wife with very healthy lungs."

"Vitals?"

"Tachycardic in the 140s. BP holding in the 90s."

"You were gone when I woke up."

"I had to do a thing."

"You didn't leave a note."

"Yeah, I had this thing to do."

"And once again…"

"What?"

"We go to sleep. I think everything is fine and by the time I wake up you're just a little bit crazy."

"Okay, I'm not crazy. I had a thing." Jesse walked into the trauma room and heard James Carlson's wife screaming from affair. The paramedic, Hannah, was there plugging the wound with her arm. Elena was checking James' heart rate.

"How's his respiratory effort?" Jesse asked.

"Absent breath sounds on the right side. Air bubbling on the side of the wound. He's shocky and getting a little cyanotic."

"Let's get him intubated and place an effusive dressing on the wound." Jesse then turned to Hannah. "And who are you?"

"Hannah. Hannah Davies."

"Hannah, why do you have your hand inside my patient?"

"I tried to tampon out the wound with gauze and pressure but the only thing that would stop the bleeding was my hand. Every time I tried to move it he starts bleeding out. Can I take my hand out now?"

"No. You have your finger on a major bleeder. Mr. Carlson is running out of time. You have an all expense paid trip to the O.R. Dr. Gilbert, prepare to transport her to the O.R."

"What do you want me to do?" Bonnie asked, walking in.

"I want you to make that woman stop screaming and tell us what happened."

"I can't go to the O.R?"

"No. You have a thing to do." Jesse walked away.

"What was that about?" Elena asked.

"If I knew you were gonna get the good case, I would've let you stay in bed."

In the Pit, Mrs. Carlson was still screaming her head off, Tyler and Caroline standing in front of her.

"She's been going at least fifteen, twenty minutes. This must be like some kind of record," said Tyler.

"Look at her. She's not even turning red," Caroline replied as Bonnie walked to them.

"Good for her. Porter says shut her up," Bonnie muttered. Aimee then walked by.

"We've got an incoming trauma, NBC with a 30 minute extrication time and severe and intrusion damage to the car. Definite head injury. Stable vitals and everything else. 5 minutes out!"

"I got it," said Bonnie.

"I thought Porter said for you to shut her up!" Tyler called as Bonnie and Caroline headed to the double doors.

"No, Porter told me to tell you to shut her up."

"Ma'am. Ma'am," Tyler began. "Mrs. Carlson, are you injured?" Her annoying screaming only continued." I need you to try and calm down. Mrs. Carlson. Can you hear me?" Fed up, Tyler moved closer to the woman and screamed loudly in her face. She stopped instantly, shocked. "Good. Okay. Now can you tell me exactly what happened to your husband?" She broke down in tears. "Great."

In Delivery, Matt was standing in the hallway, peering into a patient's room through the tiny window on the door. Alaric came by and noticed.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Chief, Fell's in there."

"Fell's back?" Alaric asked, excited. Alaric moved to the door to look in, smiling, but instantly stepped back. He looked at Matt, mortified. "Donovan!"

"She's in labor. Dr. Salvatore-Branson is examining her cervix."

"I can see that quite clearly!"

"Pretty amazing right? The miracle of life."

"Our Fell. Becoming a mother. Feels good. Having Fell back at the hospital. The balance is being restored."

"That's all I'm saying, sir." Stefan then walked by and saw the two standing there.

"Hey, guys. What's going on?"

"Fell's in there," Matt replied, gesturing to the room.

"Oh, Fell's back? That's excellent," he grinned. He peered through the window and lost his smile. "And her cervix is being examined by my wife which is a visual image I'll never get out of my head. Thanks for the warning." Lexi then came out of the room.

"Wow. The gathering of men outside the delivery room. How mid-century of you," Lexi quipped.

"How's she doing?" Alaric asked.

"Taking it like a woman. 6 centimeters dilated. 50% effaced and refusing all pain meds which I think is stupid but I'm not in labor." She walked off just as Meredith emerged from the room in a hospital gown.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked.

"Are you alright? Can I get you anything?" Alaric asked.

"A boy the size of a ten pound bowling ball is working his way out of my body. Can you get me something for that? Can you get me a new vagina?"

"Oh, well…"

"I didn't think so. Look, I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine. It's just childbirth. All I need is my husband who should've been here by now." Matt held out a pad and pen.

"Write down his number. I'll call him. I'll track him down." Meredith took the pad and pen and wrote down her husband's name and number.

"Alright. Then go away. Give me some privacy. I don't want to see any of you again until after the baby is born. Which if he does like I told him to and stays on schedule, should be in about 4 and a half hours." Meredith then slammed the door shut.

In trauma, Bonnie, Caroline, and various other nurses and doctors were checking on a man lying on a gurney.

"He's my patient, Bonnie. Get your own," Caroline sighed.

"I had one. Elena took him."

"So now you're gonna take mine?"

"If I can."

"Is my wife here? Is she here?" the man spoke up.

"Was she in the accident with you?" Caroline asked.

"She should be here. She's supposed to be here."

"We'll find her." Damon then entered the room.

"What do we got?" he asked.

"Brian Walters. Age 35. Lost control of his car. Hit the guardrail…"

"He's got a chest contusion and a head CT shows a left side depressed skull fracture," Bonnie interrupted. "And a temporal epidural hematoma. GCS 14 in the field. Now down to 12. His motor exams are due back."

"Okay, let's get him on a gram of dilantin and seventy grams of mannitol. Mr. Walters, I'm gonna need to do an examination of you, okay?" A phone then began ringing.

"My phone. Answer it. My wife. You need to answer it."

"Okay. Dr. Forbes, answer his phone. Mr. Walters, can you squeeze my fingers for me?"

"My phone."

"Mr. Walters, I need you to squeeze my fingers." Just as Caroline answered Brian's phone, he began seizing. "Okay he's seizing. Get him on his side! Watch his arm."

"Hello? Hello?" Caroline answered. "Matt? It's me. Caroline. No I don't have Meredith's husband's phone. What are you..I think I'd know if I have Meredith's husband's phone, Matt." Damon and Bonnie began wheeling Brian out to the OR. Caroline turned around, realizing that Brian could be Meredith's husband. "What's Meredith's husband's name?"

In the OR, a large team including Elena were prepping Mr. Carlson for surgery. Hannah was all scrubbed up with her hand still inside Mr. Carlson.

"How are you doing over there?" Elena asked.

"My hand is getting numb and I gotta tell ya, this whole insides are all bloody and squishy thing is so not good for my gag reflex. But I'm good. Is this okay? Me being in here like this."

"Once Dr. Porter scrubs in, he'll have you remove your hand and then you can go and we'll fix Mr. Carlson."

"Good. Cause I know how much medicine I know and it's just enough to never be allowed in an O.R. It's my second week. As a paramedic. I got out of school about a month ago. Talk about on the job training huh?"

At a communal wash area, Damon and Jesse were scrubbing up.

"Jesse," Damon greeted.

"Damon." Lexi then walked up to them.

"Hey. You've got Dr. Fell's husband on the table?" she asked.

"Fell's husband is going into surgery?" Jesse questioned.

"Got into a car accident trying to get to the hospital before the birth."

"What do we tell Fell?" Lexi asked.

"Nothing. Let's just wait until I get in there and see how bad the damage is. Give her something concrete to tell her."

"Yeah, no use upsetting her until we know. Okay, keep me posted." Damon then entered the OR where Brian was being prepped for surgery. Bonnie and Caroline were one of the many doctors there.

"How are we doing?" Damon asked.

"Stabilized," Caroline replied.

"Doctor," Brian murmured. Damon walked up to him. "You, you're Damon, right?:

"Yes, I am."

"I thought so. Meredith…she really likes you."

"I like her too."

"We're having a baby.

"I know. I'm going to care of you. I'm gonna get you back to Fell, okay? Safe and sound." A doctor then put Brian under. Damon then pulled out a drill. "Okay, folks. If Meredith asks, I didn't do this."

In the Pit, Mindy Carlson had stopped crying and a nurse had helped change her out of her bloody clothes and into a hospital gown.

"All this blood and none of it's hers?" the nurse asked Tyler.

"Yeah she's fine. Acute-anxiety reaction. Give her 2 diazepam P.O to calm her down."

"She in shock?"

"I'll say," Mindy replied.

"Can you tell us exactly what happened?" Tyler asked.

"You mean the shock part? It was shocking. I'm shocked. You tell my husband when I get my hands on him…he's a dead man! Do you hear me? Scare me like this."

"Exactly how was your husband injured?"

"Mindy? Mindy? Are you in here?" a man called.

"Paul, I'm in here, you moron!" Mindy yelled. A middle-aged man looking fairly stressed out and dressed like a war veteran walked up to the group.

"How's James doing?

"Oh he's bleeding all over the place. That's how he's doing! The girl in the ambulance put her hand inside of him! That's how he's doing!"

"What are you yelling at me for?"

"Because you and James are like idiots! Playing like 8-year olds!"

"Okay we don't play. We re-enact."

"You play! You put on your costumes and build your stupid toys and you play!"

"We re-enact."

"Nobody re-enacts World War II. You moron!"

"Exactly what happened?" Tyler asked.

"You wanna know what happened? What happened is my husband and his moron best friend…"

"Can you stop calling me a moron?" Paul interrupted.

"Moron best friend! Decided to build some kind of big gun."

"Yeah an exact replica of the finest allied anti-tank weapon of World War II. The M19A bazooka."

"So they put on their stupid costumes and they go out into the backyard and they try to shoot the thing

"I'm the gunner. James is the loader. We follow the specifications exactly. You should see it. It's a 60 millimeter. One and a half pound rocket. It's a beauty."

"It didn't work. So like an idiot my husband has to go and stand in front of his big gun to see what went wrong! That's when the stupid toy starts working."

"Stop calling it a toy."

"It's taken up half my garage. I'll call it whatever I want!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa, he shot himself with a bazooka?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah!" Mindy replied.

"He shot himself with a bazooka?" Tyler asked, horrified. Paul nodded.

"Like I said, morons! The pair of them!"

"Was there an explosion?" Tyler asked.

"Huh?" Paul asked.

"Was there an explosion?" Tyler repeated, insistently.

"No. Why? Oh, crap."

* * *

**Please review! ****************************And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	30. Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

Tyler sprinted out of the ward and ran into Jesse's OR just as Jesse was about to make an incision.

"Dr. Porter! I need to speak with you."

"I am in surgery, Lockwood," Jesse replied, annoyed.

"You wanna talk to me, sir." Jesse looked at him for a moment before handing his scalpel back to a scrub nurse. He made his way to Tyler who was standing at the doorway.

"Lockwood, if you interrupt me in my O.R before…"

"Was it through and through?" Tyler interrupted.

"What?"

"The wound on James Carlson. Was it through and through?"

"No, it was just an injury. No exit. Why?" Tyler sighed, resigned. Elena just stared at Jesse and Tyler as they spoke in hushed tones. "Hannah," Jesse finally spoke.

"Yes, Dr. Porter?"

"What do you feel? Inside of Mr. Carlson. What is your hand touching?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is your hand touching anything hard?"

"Hard?"

"Like metal?"

"Um, I don't know.

"Don't move your hand. Just tell me what you feel.

"Um, my fingertips are touching something kinda hard. Yeah, yeah definitely."

"Oh my God!" a doctor gasped.

"Dr. Milton!" Jesse admonished.

"What? What's wrong?" Hannah asked.

"Hannah, I don't want you to move. Not your hand, not your body. Not an inch," said Jesse.

"Okay, you should know your starting to scare me.

"Don't be scared. Everything is going to be fine. Dr. Gilbert, could you ah…" Elena left the table and walked up to him. "I want you to walk out of this room. Walk, do not run. Go and tell the charge nurse that we have a code black," he whispered.

"Code black? Are you serious?

"Code black. Tell him that I am sure. And then tell him to call the bomb squad." Hurriedly, Elena left and notified the appropriate channels. When she returned, she and Tyler stood outside OR which only had Jesse, Hannah, Dr. Milton, and James Carlson inside.

"Can you imagine? What she stick her hand in there for anyway?" Tyler asked.

"She was trying to save his life."

"And now she might die because of it." Jesse opened the door and stepped outside.

"What do we do now?" Elena asked.

"I go back in and wait for the bomb squad. You leave. You all leave," Jesse ordered. Most of the team started leaving, but a few stood their ground including Elena.

"Lena, you coming?" Tyler asked. She shot him a look. "Your funeral."

"You need a surgical team, Dr. Porter."

"All I need is Dr. Milton to keep him under. I can do the rest myself." Elena walked closer to him.

"How familiar are you with the dark underbelly of New Orleans?"

"Familiar enough. I know what Bonnie is."

"Good. I'm like Bonnie, only much older than I appear. You're going to need me."

"Fine, but you wait by the elevator. I don't want anybody in here that doesn't need to be in this OR. When the bomb squad arrives we'll take it from there. Until then Milton and I are doing this alone. Now, go." Elena nodded and walked off to stand by the elevator.

In the other occupied OR, Damon was in the middle of his surgery while Caroline and Bonnie watched from affair. Damon's pager then went off.

"Bonnie, could you check that?" Damon asked. Bonnie moved to check his pager and raised a brow. She quickly moved to make a phone call.

"How's he doing?" Caroline asked.

"Ah, it's touch and go. I've located the clot. I'm just trying to find the source of the bleeding. Go and find Lexi and tell her that he's in worse shape than I thought." Caroline left and Bonnie hung up the phone. "What they want?"

"They want us to evacuate."

"Evacuate? Did they say why?"

"Ah no but your pager said 'Code Black'?" Damon looked at Bonnie, startled.

"You sure they said that?

"Yes.

"Could be a drill. Even if it's not a drill I can't evacuate. I've got an open brain on the table. I'm not leaving Meredith's husband on the table with his skull flap open so if anybody wants to go they should go. Anybody want to evacuate?" Everyone stayed put. "Going once. Going twice. Three times." Damon turned to Bonnie. "You're sure they said Code Black?"

"Yes."

"Bonnie, I need you to do something for me. Find Elena."

"Why should I do any personal favors for you? You're the guy who broke her heart," Bonnie whispered.

"Just do it. Please."

"Fine."

In Jesse's OR, Hannah was becoming very nervous. Dr. Milton was slowly pumping a manual ventilator, an ampoule bag. Jesse was standing a few feet away, watching.

"So I'm touching live unexploded ammunition?" Hannah asked.

"I'm afraid so."

"Huh. Not the greatest feeling in the world."

"No. I guess not."

"And he's still out?"

"Yeah," Dr. Milton replied.

"But he's not hooked up to the machine anymore?"

"I had Dr. Milton take him off the ventilator. The flow of oxygen posed a danger. The ampoule bag is breathing for him now."

"He can't hear me?"

"No. Hannah?"

"What if I just take my hand out really quickly?"

"We'd have to ask the bomb squad that when they arrive but I'm guessing that would cause the ammo to shift and explode."

"Oh," Hannah nodded, teary-eyed.

"Hannah?"

"Yeah?"

"Your hand is keeping Mr. Carlson from bleeding out. You are keeping him alive."

"Right. And the bomb squad is coming."

"The bomb squad is coming."

"Okay. Okay."

By the elevators, the bomb squad arrived. Elena was glad to see a familiar face. Will.

"About time you got here, Will," Elena muttered.

"Elena. You're on the surgical team?"

"Yes."

"Where are they?"

"Dr. Porter has them in there."

"The rest of this floor has been evacuated?"

"As far as I know."

"Okay, you stay here. Nobody moves unless I say so."

"We've got people over here!" a member of Will's team arrived.

"I thought you said the floor had been evacuated."

"I thought it had. I'm not in charge or anything. Bonnie?"

"Elena? What's going on?"

"Bomb in a body cavity.

"Man. All I got is Meredith's husband's open brain. Damon sent me to come check on you."

"Tell that ass I'm fine."

"Damon?" Will asked. "Damon Salvatore?"

"You know him?" Elena asked.

"We're old buddies." Will walked into Damon's OR. "Damon."

"Well, well, if it isn't my old friend, Will."

"Love to reminisce, but you have to move. There's an explosive device in the OR next door."

"Yeah and I've got a guy who's brain is exposed on this table. I'm not going to walk away and leave him to die."

"Close him up. You do whatever you have to do. The 'Chief of Surgery' has authorized me to tell me you cannot stay here."

"The 'Chief of Surgery' doesn't scare me. Dr. Fell scares me. I'm not going to be the one to let her husband die. And that's what would happen if I put his skull flap on in this condition. Bomb or no bomb. Now get out of my O.R, Will." Will closed the door.

"Stubborn ass," Will cursed.

"I heard that!" Damon called back. Will then met with Jesse in an x-ray viewing room.

"There is no telling how dangerous it is. We need more info," said Will.

"The longer we wait, the greater the chance he'll bleed out and die," Jesse replied. In the hall, Meredith and Elena were talking, watching Will and Jesse, when Bonnie walked up to the OR Hannah and James were in.

"Bonnie! Will said you're supposed to stay away from there." They both peered into the OR window.

"Is it me or is she shaking?" Bonnie asked.

"Is she squeezing that ampoule bag by herself? Where is Dr. Milton?" They opened the door slowly. Hannah was by herself, pale, and shaking. "Hannah? Where's Dr. Milton?"

"He, um, left. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die."

"Hannah."

"I think I'm gonna take my hand out now." Bonnie called for help and Jesse and Will sprinted from the room to the OR. They saw Bonnie pumping the ampoule bag and Elena standing next to Hanna, trying to comfort her. "I think I'm going to take it out now."

"Okay we're almost to the finish line. You can do this," Elena consoled.

"No, no. No, I just want to take it out and be done with it."

"Hannah. It won't be much longer. Remember you're keeping him from bleeding out," said Jesse.

"No! I am twenty-two years old! I should not even be in here! This is some kind of mistake!"

"She's panicking. We need to clear the room," Will whispered to Jesse.

"I'm not leaving," said Elena.

"Gilbert, let's move!" Jesse ordered.

"I'm not leaving her."

"Get everyone out now, Dr. Porter," Will advised.

"She's my intern. I am responsible for her." Suddenly, Hannah pulled her hand out fast. Jesse, Will, and Bonnie fell to the ground, their arms above there heads. Elena was still standing. Hannah ran to the door, opened it, and left a bloody handprint on the wall as she ran out of the room. Elena just stared after Hannah. Bonnie stood up slowly and saw that Elena's hand was now inside James Carlson.

"Elena," Bonnie whispered, shocked.

"Oh dear God," Elena muttered to herself. "What did I do?"

"Elena, just stay right where you are," said Will. "Nobody move. Stay exactly where you are." Elena took in a slow, deep breath.

"What did I do? What did I do?" Will quickly summoned one of his guys and the man brought a flak jacket. Will began strapping it onto Elena. Will's men helped Jesse and Bonnie into some protective gear as well.

"You realize how stupid that was," Will scolded.

"It was, Lena. Incredibly stupid!" Bonnie agreed.

"Okay you know when you don't need to be made fun of? Like when you've got your hand inside a body that's got a bomb in it and a vampire is velcroing a flak jacket to your boobs." Will looked at Elena and then Jesse. "He knows about vampires and witches, Will." Jesse nodded.

"Your sense of irony hasn't changed."

"Only when things are really ironic. I had a feeling." Bonnie shot Elena a look.

"What's that?" Will asked.

"Nothing."

"Bonnie, it's time for you to go," said Jesse.

"No. I'm staying.

"There's nothing more you can do here. We've got it covered. Bonnie, this is not another cool surgery. This ammo can go off at any time and kill everyone in this room. Do you get that? You can not be in here."

"Do you think this about surgery?

"Bonnie, I can not do this with you in here! I cannot think!"

"Bonnie," Elena began. "We'll be fine. It's okay. Go and whatever you do, do NOT tell Damon I'm holding a bomb." Bonnie then left. "I have an idea, Will. I could do a Submerge."

"You know Marcel's rules. No magic in the hospital."

"Screw the rules. I can deal with Marcel."

"What's a Submerge?" Jesse asked.

"I telepathically dissect through the bomb, sever the circuitry that makes it dangerous with telekinesis. It would work."

"Only we have no schematics on this bomb. It's homemade, unstable. I couldn't tell you what wire to cut even if I wanted to," Will replied. "I'd need to see myself." Elena let out a long breath.

"Shit. You have a plan right? Please tell me you have a way to get me out of this." Will only stared back at her. "Jesse, is this the strangest thing that's ever happened in your O.R?"

"I'd have to say that it is."

"Good, cause I'm very competitive."

"All the best surgeons are." Will then received some information from one of his colleagues. He brought Jesse over to the side of the room and they whispered.

"Stop it," Elena ordered. "I'm not a patient."

"What?" Will asked.

"The two of you are looking at me the way we look at patients. Like I'm going to freak out at any minute. I'm not gonna freak out so whatever it is, just give it to me straight."

"The main oxygen line runs directly under this room," said Jesse.

"Okay. Not okay. I need one of you two to tell me what this means exactly because I think I know what it means, but I tend to be glass half-empty these days so I won't trust what I think it means because what I think it means is if the bomb were to explode over the oxygen line the whole hospital could blow up! And that's just crazy right?"

"Elena, all it means is that we have to move," said Will.

"Move?" Jesse asked.

"That's right. We have to move. Now. because I don't want to spend another second in this room.

"I can't wiggle my fingers because we can't shift the ammo and now you want to roll out the entire gurney?" Elena hissed.

"That's our safest option."

"We move," Jesse agreed. "Not a problem. We can do this. You handling this, Gilbert?"

"I'm handling this."

After safely moving to another OR, Jesse prepared to make an incision.

"I'm going to extend the wound. When I cut, the bleeding is going to enter the subline. If we're going to save Mr. Carlson, you have to pull the ammo out immediately," said Jesse.

"But remember remove it while keeping it as level as possible. Nice and easy. No quick movements. Level."

"Will, if I'm going to do this, I need a favor."

"Okay. We can do that."

"I need you to get Damon and I need you to get him now," Elena replied, scared.

"Are you and him…"

"Will!"

"Okay. I'll have one of my guys get him. We won't start until he's here." Will picked up his radio. "Parker, get Salvatore from OR 2." Thankfully, the bomb squad wasn't interrupting Damon's surgery as he had just finished. "So you and Damon, huh?"

"We're not together. It's complicated. And if either of you breathe a word of Damon and I to anyone, I'll make sure you wished you were never born." Within seconds, Damon entered the room, shocked.

"Elena? How many kinds of stupid could you possibly be!"

"I hate you, you son of a bitch," Elena cursed. Damon was taken aback by the color of her words.

"I was wondering when you were going to crack."

"If I blow up, you're going to blow up with me. Will, tell Damon your plan."

"What are you doing?" Will asked.

"I can only do this with him here or else I'm going to unravel. He's the only one who can keep me calm. Tell him your plan." Will whispered a few instructions into Damon's ear.

"You ready?" Jesse asked.

"As I'll ever be." Jesse made his incision. Will nodded at Damon.

"Elena, wrap your hand around the nose cone," said Damon. Elena stared off, teary-eyed. "Elena."

"Matt and Caroline shouldn't have to move out of the house."

"No. You listen to me."

"You should make sure. Make sure that they get to stay in the house. I can't! I can't. This is crazy. Jesse, go. You go. All of you…go."

"Nobody's dying today, Gilbert," said Jesse. Damon walked close behind Elena, placing his hands on her hips.

"I'm not losing you," he whispered into her ear. "You're right. If we blow up, we blow up together. But that's not going to happen because we're going to get out of this and you are going to scream and rant at me until you can't talk anymore. I want you to do that. But for right now, I need you to listen me. Ignore them. Just listen to my voice, okay?" Elena nodded. "I know this is mad and I know that I'm this asshole who's treated you like crap. I'd do anything to take it all back, but right now pretend I'm not the Damon of now, pretend I'm the Damon of 1864."

"Damon, I'm scared."

"I know. I know, but you can do this. It'll be over in a second. Like when you pulled that bullet out of my shoulder. You can do this."

"Okay."

"Okay." Elena began to pull out her hand. "Gently." Elena slowly pulled out the bomb and crying a little she handed the bomb very carefully to Will who held out his hands to receive it. She removed her hand. Damon let out a breath and kissed the crown of Elena's head. "You did good." Elena sighed as Will moved slowly away from the operating table. Elena and Damon backed away from the OR as Jesse started operating on Carlson. Will moved a few steps away, ready to pass the bomb off to another member of the bomb squad. Suddenly, it detonated, instantly blowing up. Damon instantly protected Elena from the force of the back as they knocked down onto the ground. Debris, blood, and flesh caked the floor. All the lights were blown out and pieces of paper fell to the floor in small fires. Damon groaned as he got up. He saw Elena appeared to be unconscious.

"Elena. Elena!" The girl groaned and winced at the small shard of glass that were embedded on the side of her face.

"Ow! I still hate you," she groaned. Damon laughed in relief.

A few minutes later, Jesse delivered the news that Mr. Carlson was going to be okay while Damon took Elena to a trauma room to be cleaned up.

"Meredith gave birth and, uh, her husband's going to be okay," Damon said as he pulled the glass out of her skin with tweezers.

"I hate you."

"You said that already."

"Dick. You promised me today." Elena looked up at him with such hatred.

"I know. I know I did."

"I hate you and your brother."

"I know that too. I knew when you said you weren't angry that you were lying. I could hear it in your heartbeat. You were trying to be kind, but I don't deserve it. When Stefan came to me, I didn't think before I spoke. That was wrong. And I'm sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am. You don't deserve to be treated the way I treated you. I'm a fool."

"You picked him over me."

"I didn't want to, Elena." She looked away in disgust. "It's true. I didn't, but…I knew I'd never have another chance like this again."

"You never told me about him in 1864. Why?"

"Never came up. You weren't exactly chatty about your family either."

"Because my family's screwed up."

"So is mine. Stefan has always been the golden boy. I'm the black sheep."

"Guess we're made for each other then."

"Guess so."

"I've seen the way he talks about you when you're not around. Whatever your relationship was before when you were human, it won't be the same again."

"I know, but I have to try. That doesn't mean I love him more than you." Elena looked up, shocked. "I love you more than him. That will always remain true. And if he wasn't here, nothing would stop me from being with you. But this has to be done. I accept whatever punishment you have in store for me, Elena, and I promise you, a true promise, one that I won't break, that I will spend the rest of my eternity making up for all the ways I've hurt you."

"I'm going to make your life hell," Elena smiled.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

* * *

**Please review! ****************************And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	31. Scratch

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

Life was just too complicated, too short. Elena had come to that realization directly after the bomb threat. She had also noticed a change in Damon. He had become less concerned with Stefan and more attentive to her needs. It was nice, but Elena knew a turning point was coming. She could feel it in her bones. Their defining moment was coming. Elena had no intention of winning Damon back. She had deserved much better and she knew he was trying to make up for it. However, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. She had come up with a plan, a plan to make him insanely jealous. Step One, accept a date with Aaron from Accounting. Step Two, watch the aftermath unfold. However, every plan always has complications. Elena's particular plan had two she hadn't expected. One, Elena hadn't expected that she'd genuinely like Aaron. He was nice and funny and uncomplicated. Just what she needed. And two, Matt, poor Matt. Elena now hated her job. Not because of the work, but because of the people, the stares. Elena had done something, something bad, something unforgiveable. Something that would forever have repercussions. Something that could change her whole world. In the locker room, Elena was getting ready for work, tying her hair up in front of the mirror. Matt walked up to brush his teeth, but moved back to his locker when he realized Elena was there. Bonnie, Caroline, and Tyler watched the whole awkward scene.

"Ten bucks says Donovan caught her doing Aaron from Accounting," Tyler whispered.

"Eww. I don't know why she went out with him. That guy is so not her type," Caroline whispered, hitting Tyler. "There's something going on. I mean look at them."

"Alright, he walked in on her doing Stefan." Caroline walked up to Elena and Matt, Bonnie following her.

"Guys, what's going on?" Caroline asked.

"Nothing," Elena replied.

"Oh, you know we're going to find out anyway," said Bonnie.

"You tell us and maybe we can help."

"There's nothing to tell," Matt grumbled.

"Oh, that means there's something to tell," Bonnie smirked.

"Come on."

"There's nothing to tell," Elena repeated before leaving the room.

Just the other day, Caroline's father, Bill, had been admitted into the hospital for open-heart surgery and Elena had been assigned the case. So far, everything had gone well, but there was always the risk of complications. When Elena walked into Bill's room, she was shocked to see her uncle conversing jovially with Bill.

"What the hell…" she whispered.

"Oh, Elena, hello," said John.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just visiting my good friend, Bill, here. I'm going to be here all day. Is that a problem?" John grazed his hand against Elena's and she immediately recoiled.

"No. Not all," Elena replied tersely. "Excuse me. I have to consult with another physician about a case." Elena quickly left the room and spotted Damon by the nurse's station. "Okay, you know how I told you I was ignoring you from now on and you were going to leave me alone so I can live my life without you and you gave me the puppy dog sad face?"

"I'm not a puppy dog," Damon growled.

"I need help." Damon looked up from his charting to a very distressed Elena. "John's here."

"Excuse me?"

"Apparently, he's very good friends with Bill Forbes. I can't do this. I can't focus with him here. I can't be on this case."

"Okay, okay. Don't worry about it. You can swap with one of the interns who's on my service. I'll smooth it over with Meredith."

"How?"

"We actually have a lot in common. She loves a good bottle of bourbon." Elena sighed.

"Damon, thank you, but it's a lot worse than that." Damon sent her a puzzled look. "I haven't told anyone this, but…I think he's been watching me, following me."

"Christ, Elena. I'll talk to Ric. See what we can work out. Although, if you'd like to reconsider eliminating him…"

"No, Damon. You know what happened the last time you tried that." Damon shrugged. "Okay, I'm going back to ignoring you now."

Later in the day, Elena was walking down a hallway with Tyler, reading a chart.

"What happened with you and Donovan?" Tyler asked.

"Nothing."

"Well, whatever it is I've done worse."

"How do you know I did something? How do you know Matt didn't do something?"

"Because Bambi looks pissed and you look guilty."

"Fine. I did something. A terrible, terrible something."

"Alright, so you slept with Donovan. Get over it already."

"He told you!"

"Uh, no," Tyler replied, shocked. Elena stared at him and Tyler looked back. She cringed. "I was just kidding. I mean it's not like I should be surprised."

"Why not?"

"Because when your life is sucking, you get drunk and sleep with inappropriate men. It's your thing. Whatever. I find it charming."

"You sleep with inappropriate women when you're sober."

"Donovan, he's not gonna get over this." Elena looked up and saw Matt standing at the doorway near them.

"You told him?" Matt asked.

"Matt."

"Wow. When I'm wrong about someone…"

"No. I…"

"I am really wrong!"

"No, Matt!" Matt started walking off and Elena and Tyler ran after him. "It's not! It's not what you think!"

"Dude, chill!"

"You chill!" Matt yelled back. "I'm not gonna chill."

"What's going on?" Caroline asked, walking into the hallway.

"The fetus is freaking out," said Tyler.

"I can see that. Matt, why are you freaking out?"

"You think that someone is your friend you know." Elena looked down ashamed. "You think at the very least she'd respect your privacy!"

"What's going on?" Bonnie asked. They followed Elena and Matt into the stairwell.

"Matt, can we at least talk?" she asked.

"I don't wanna talk! Not to you! I wanted to keep my mouth shut! And if you hadn't been running away from me every time you see me, you would know that."

"Okay, you're right but can we just talk now?"

"You wanna talk now because you told everyone that we had sex!"

"You had sex!" Bonnie and Caroline yelled.

"You didn't tell them?" Matt asked.

"No."

"Damn it!" He moved to walk down the flight of stairs, but ended up falling down them instead. Later, Matt was sitting in a trauma room with a sore arm. Tyler, Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie were watching him through the window.

"He's gonna be okay right?" Elena asked.

"He dislocated his shoulder. He's gonna be fine."

"That's not exactly what I meant."

"Elena, if you can't make this right, if you can't fix this with Matt, just so you know if it comes to choosing sides, I'm on his," said Caroline before she and Tyler walked off. Elena turned to Bonnie.

"He's the weaker kid. I mean I don't even beat up on weaker kids. It's cheap."

"I did a terrible thing. I slept with him and then I accepted a date with a guy from Accounting. I…I did a terrible thing."

"He's been in love with you since Day One. There's no way you didn't know that. We all do terrible things."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

In the Trauma room, Matt was sitting gloomily when Rose walked in.

"Matt Donovan?" Rose asked.

"Hi."

"Wait a minute. You're the heart in the elevator guy! Damon told me about you."

"Yeah that's me."

"That was amazing."

"Thanks. I dislocated my shoulder."

"Yeah. I can see that."

"It's really not so bad."

"Yes, it is. Pick your poison."

"No painkillers."

"Bold choice."

"I just…officially I'm on duty."

"And planning to stay?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Bolder choice."

"All I need is help popping it back in."

"You got into a fight?"

"I fell down some stairs."

"Where? At your girlfriend's?"

"What? No, I'm single."

"Single, huh." Suddenly, she grabbed Matt's arm and snapped it back into place. He yelled in pain. "It hurts less if you don't see it coming." She then placed Matt's arm into a sling, her touch lingering a little too long.

"All set?"

"All set."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Bye."

"Bye." When Matt walked back up to surgical, he ran into Bonnie.

"She really didn't tell you about it?" Matt asked.

"No. Is that a bad thing?"

"Well, she tells you everything. So it didn't even matter enough to her to talk about it. Guess I should have figured that out when she accepted a date from Aaron in Accounting."

"Okay Matt, the pity thing? Not good. If you want crappy things to stop happening to you, then stop accepting crap and demand something more."

Meanwhile, Damon was in Alaric's office, explaining the John situation.

"I can't just kick him out of the hospital, Damon," said Ric. "Not if Bill wants him there as a visitor. After visiting hours are over, I can force him to leave."

"He's following her, spying on her. This is dangerous, Ric. The guy's a powerful Traveller and I have no idea why he came to town. And I don't think John's the kind of sentimental guy who only came to New Orleans to visit an old friend. He's tormenting her."

"Listen, all I'm saying is what I can and can't do as the Chief of this hospital. Now what happens beyond my own knowledge is out of my control. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Alaric asked, pointedly.

"Hmm. I never took you as that kind of guy, Ric."

"Do whatever you want, Damon. You always do."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I don't even know who you are anymore. You're losing yourself, man. You gave up the one woman you've ever loved to your douche of a brother. I mean don't get me wrong. He's a great surgeon, but he's an ass. When did Damon Salvatore ever yield to the demands of his baby brother? You know all I hear from Marcel and his minions is how much of a wimp you've become? It's tiresome."

"I know, Ric! And I've tried to change things. I did! Honestly! After the bomb, I gave Elena a few weeks to recover from the shock, the trauma. We both needed the space. I came to a resolution in that time. A resolution named Screw Stefan. I mean, he's over a hundred years old and he still acts like a child. Elena is my life. She always has been and I went to her house to tell her that. That I was done with Stefan and his crap and that I didn't expect her to forgive me or even believe me, but I wanted her to know that I still wanted to be with her, that I still love her. And then I see her making out with Aaron from Accounting." Jealousy dripped off Damon's words. "And I know I have no right to be jealous, but all I wanted to do was wrap my hands around that kid's neck and squeeze. But I won't do that…not to her. She deserves better and if she's happy right now, I'm not going to ruin that for her."

"You're an idiot."

"What?"

"You're an idiot. I've known Elena for a while and the happiest I've seen her is that one day she was with you. Damon, don't spend all your time wondering what you are or who you like or whether it's right for you or wrong for you. Just let yourself be happy, okay? Before you find yourself alone. You only live once. Can't waste it."

"I screwed this up so much, Ric. I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Well, I would say some profuse apologies and the truth would be a good start." Damon nodded and left the room. As he walked down a corridor, he ran into John.

"Damon," John smiled.

"John. I believe you and I need to have a word."

"Have you seen Elena?" Damon looked around and saw no one in the hallway. He slammed John into the wall.

"Let me make myself perfectly clear. You even breathe in Elena's direction and I'll kill you."

"You forget. I come back from death."

"Only due to that ring. We're in a hospital. It'd be easy for me to find a knife to cut it off and then snap your neck. Stay away from her." Noticing John's confidence turn into fear, Damon smirked and walked away. "I've still got it."

Around lunch, the whole hospital practically knew about the Matt/Aaron debacle. Elena had skipped lunch and just focused on her charting at a nurse's station on three. Stefan then approached her.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi."

"So…you're the talk of the hospital."

"I'm gonna lose all my friends," Elena muttered. She looked back down at her charting when she saw Damon enter the hallway. She didn't catch his sympathetic look.

"First Matt and now Aaron from Accounting. You really get around," Stefan snapped. The chatty nurse's station then grew immediately quiet. Every nurse and doctor had heard Stefan's comment. Their eyes drew to the two. Damon's mouth and eyes widened in shock. Did he just hear what he thought he heard? Damon admitted that he was jealous of Elena moving on, but he would have never said something like that to her. The floor was so silent everyone could have heard a pin drop.

"Excuse me?" Elena whispered before her voice grew louder. "What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me. It's unforgivable."

"I don't remember ever asking you to forgive me, Stefan."

"So who's next? Tyler? Because I hear he likes to sleep around. You two have that in common." Before he even knew it, Elena slapped him.

"You don't get to call me a whore." Elena's eyes secretly crossed over Stefan's shoulder, meeting Damon's. Damon knew Elena's next words could possibly be veiled directly for him. "When I met you, I thought I had found the person that I was going to spend the rest of my life with! I was done. So all the boys and all the bars and all the obvious daddy issues, who cared? Because I was done." Elena's eyes bored through Stefan. "You lied to me. You chose Lexi. I'm all glued back together now." Elena's gaze drew past Stefan again. "I make no apologies for how I chose to repair what you broke. You don't get to call me a whore."

"I think this thing with us is finished. It's over."

"Finally," Elena murmured before walking away toward the on-call room. Damon placed his chart down on the table.

"You're a dick," he muttered to his brother before following Elena into the room. When he opened the door, he saw the room was empty except for Elena who was sitting in the darkness on a bed, curled up against the wall, crying. Damon locked the door and sat down next to her, concerned.

"I don't. I can't. I can't. I don't want. I don't. I can't," she cried hyperventilating.

"Slow down. Just slow down." He rubbed her back. "Shh. Slow deep breaths." Elena continued to cry, breathing with difficulty. Damon noticed an empty paper bag resting on the desk. He grabbed it and handed it to her. "Here. Take it easy. Slow down." Elena breathed into the bag. She took one of his hands in hers and held on tightly. Her breathing slowed down and she stopped crying. She rested her head against Damon's shoulder and he brought up his other free arm around her, holding her and resting his head against hers. "No matter how much you hate me, how much you ignore me, you won't lose me." Elena collapsed against him. "Go to sleep."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can. You need a five-second timeout. Give me your pager. I'll wake you if it beeps." Elena handed him the device and he left the room. When he closed the door, he let out a breath. "I'm so sorry. I promise I'll make this right."

* * *

**Please review!**


	32. World Spins Madly On

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

A few days had passed since the day everything changed. Matt had moved out, tentatively accepting Elena's apologies, but needing some space. He had eventually started up a relationship with Rose. Damon didn't understand what she saw him, but she was happy and that was all he cared about.

"Molly Thompson, 22 years old, 32 weeks pregnant. Transferred here from LSU Med when an ultrasound diagnosed the baby with congenital diaphragmatic hernia," said Matt to Lexi.

"Hello, Molly. I'm Dr. Lexi Salvatore."

"You're supposed to be the best," said the young girl.

"And not to put any pressure on you, or anything, but this is my baby carrying my grandchild so I really hope that you are. The best, I mean," said Molly's mother, Susan.

"Mom, you're kind of threatening the doctor. Don't threaten the doctor. It doesn't help."

"Sorry. My husband tells me I have to try not to be such a mother lion because Molly's a grown woman and has her own life and everything, but...roar."

"It's okay. I can take it. I am the best."

"You can fix this, though? Right?" Molly asked.

"We'll insert a scope into your uterus and then inflate a little balloon in the baby's airway, which should help stimulate the lungs to grow. It's not going to be easy on either of you. But I do have a strong record with this surgery." Lexi and Matt then left. "Make sure you get her to MRI and get me the results as soon as you can."

"I will." Matt then noticed a man standing outside of Molly's room. "Sir? Can I help you find something?"

"Uh…is there a Dr. Elena Gilbert working today?"

"Yes."

"She's here in the hospital, right now?"

"I can have someone page her for you if you want me to."

"No. No. Thanks."

"Wait! Excuse me, sir. Are you...what's your name?"

"Grayson."

"You're…"

"Gilbert. Yeah."

"You're Elena's father."

"Yeah."

"Are you sure you don't want me to page her for you?"

"No. I'm sorry. It's complicated." Susan then came out of the room.

"Grayson, honey? We're right here."

"There you are, Susan."

"Did you tell him? I roared a little. Couldn't help it."

"Oh, well, I knew you would."

"I'm sorry, I'm Dr. Donovan," Matt introduced himself.

"Excuse us. I'd like to check on my daughter," said Grayson before entering Molly's room. Matt then walked to the nurse's station where Lexi was charting.

"Who was that?" Lexi asked.

"Molly Thompson's maiden name is Gilbert. Her father is Grayson Gilbert. Grayson Gilbert is also Elena's father. Which means that, Molly and Elena are sisters, but I don't think Elena even knows Molly exists. I mean I don't care. I don't, except I'm on this case and apparently God hates me."

At lunch, Matt told Caroline and Bonnie what he'd discovered.

"So what are the sister and the father like?" Caroline asked.

"Like? They're like people Elena is related to and never met," Bonnie replied.

"They're nice," Matt added.

"Can you imagine? A sister, a whole family you know nothing about. You think she's going to freak out?" Caroline asked.

"It's not my responsibility to care."

"Heads up. Heads up," Bonnie warned. Matt then left, still sore from Elena's rejection of him. Bonnie tried to distract Elena from Matt leaving. "So who's going to be the…"

"It's okay, Bonnie. I can accept rejection."

"Elena."

"Weird thing is I thought I just saw my father."

"That's good. That's so good," Caroline nodded.

"Did you meet your sister too?" Elena looked at Bonnie, shocked, and quickly left. She found her father's family and noticed Lexi was talking to them. Lexi noticed Elena peeking through the doorway.

"Uh, Molly, this is Doctor…uh…this is Elena. She's going to take your vitals, okay?" Elena entered the room as Lexi left.

"Hi," Elena greeted, taking in her step-sister's young face and red hair.

"Hey."

"That's a pretty ring," Elena said as she took Molly's blood pressure.

"Oh, thanks. It was my grandma's and then my mom's. You think I'm too young to be married."

"No, I..."

"That's okay. Everybody thinks I'm too young. If I saw me, I'd think I was too young."

"Um, how...how old are you?"

"22. Eric's 23. And he's in the army and he was getting shipped out. And...I just love him so much, you know? Anyway, I proposed."

"Oh. And your, uh, parents? They approve?"

"Oh, my parents are amazing. You know how dads can be. Mine's pretty overprotective. But...you know, at my wedding, when he gave me away, my dad cried, which was...I had never seen my dad cry before. But I think it was also kind of weird for him 'cause I'm his little girl. You know, I'm the youngest, and my sister's like nowhere near ready for marriage. But...it was good crying. Like...he was proud of me, you know? I'm sorry. I'm just nervous, so I'm talking."

"No, that's okay. So you have a sister?"

"Yeah, Vanessa. She's in medical school. Harvard. She's the smart one. You should see how my dad is about her. He's like crazy proud."

"Well, I'm going to go."

"Elena?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think my baby's going to be okay?"

"Well, I hope so."

"Me too."

"Okay." Elena walked out of the room and into an orthopedic lab where Rose was talking to Damon. "I need some bones to break."

"What?" Rose asked. She then turned to Damon. "What did you do?" Damon raised his hands up in defense.

"Hello! Some bones to break. Something to smash. Can you help me with that please?" Elena asked, angry.

"Um…you can clean up that cast crap if you want," Rose said, motioning to a table. Elena took a hammer and started pounding the cast into little pieces. "Is she freaking out?"

"Looks like it," Damon replied.

Later, Elena walked past Susan Gilbert on the surgical floor, unaware who the woman was.

"I saw a sketch once from a long time ago. You look just like her. Your mother. You look a lot like my girls. Especially Molly. You were talking to her," Susan spoke up.

"I didn't say anything about anything."

"Oh, she knows about you. She knows that her father was married before and had another daughter. Has another daughter."

"No, had is right."

"Your father thinks about you. He thinks about you a lot. He just...your mother...she broke him."

"Excuse me. I have to work."

Meanwhile, Grayson was standing in front of the OR board when Alaric walked up to him.

"I spent years studying this board. Trying to get an idea when my wife would get out of surgery. Appy takes about an hour. Anything with the word 'cardio' and I knew not to plan on seeing her at all that day."

"Grayson, are you aware of what's going on with Miranda?" Alaric asked.

"You have no right. No right to talk to me about Miranda."

"I'm sorry. But I was trying to talk to you about Elena. Grayson, Miranda has early onset Alzheimer's. It's advanced. And it's hard on Elena, as you can imagine. And I thought you'd want to know."

A few minutes later, Matt was walking through the hall and saw Elena duck into a nearby room as she saw her father. Grayson then walked up to Matt.

"Oh, hey, Dr. Donovan."

"Hi."

"I was looking for you. Before when I was asking about Elena…you know her? You're her friend?"

"I used to be her roommate."

"Oh, wow. You know her really well."

"I know her pretty well."

"Um, she...she came to see me a couple of months ago. And..."

"A couple of months ago?"

"Yeah. I...I didn't know what to say to her. She looks so much...so much like her mother. Miranda was cold. I mean, I was a coward. I was...I...I left. It's been so long since I last saw her. I don't what's she like anymore, what she's become."

"Well, Elena is anything but cold. She smiles. Not that often, but when she does, uh...you know, because she's been going through a lot...but...it's...it's like you feel warm. She's kind. I mean, she can be a little selfish. She can be...she's flawed, but she's kind. She cares about people. And, uh, she cares about her patients. I think she's going to be a brilliant surgeon. You know, around here, she's known as the one to beat. So, I...I mean, I guess she has that in common with her mom, but...I think the rest of her...I think, uh, I think the rest of that she gets from you."

"Hmm. Do...do you know...where she is?"

"I think she left already. But I could tell her you were here, if you want me to."

"Yeah. Ok. Thank you."

"Okay." Grayson and Matt then walked in different directions.

"Thank you, Matt," Elena sighed before leaving to watch Lexi perform a surgery in the gallery. Damon was observing as well while working on some of his charts.

"I met a sister I never knew I had and I saw my father which was…I don't know what it was," she said.

"You okay?" he asked, not looking up from his paperwork.

"Is it normal if I say no?"

"You feel what you feel, Elena. Doesn't matter if it's normal or not. Or right or wrong."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Meanwhile in a dank mausoleum at Lafayette Cemetery, the Quarter Witches had convened for a meeting.

"Agnes, are you sure this is wise?" Jane-Anne asked the elder. "This could lead to dangerous consequences."

"The Traveller has given us no choice. In order for our magic to live, blood must be shed. Isn't that correct, John?"

"Quite," John replied, his lips turning up into an evil smirk.

* * *

**Please review! ********And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	33. Under The Water

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

Lexi shifted uncomfortably in the elevator, tension quite apparent as Stefan and Elena looked forward at the doors, waiting for them to open.

"Is there something going on?" Lexi finally asked.

"No," Stefan and Elena replied.

"Did you guys have a fight or something?"

"No," they answered.

"So…we're all still…friends?"

"Yes," they affirmed. The elevator doors opened and Elena and Stefan went in different directions, leaving Lexi standing there confused. Desperate to find out the truth, Lexi later tracked Elena down, sitting in a conference room.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey," Elena replied.

"Sorry to bother you. No, you know what, I'm not sorry." Elena raised a brow. "I just...I'm having a little trouble because I need to ask you something. And I don't usually have trouble. But what I need to ask...I'm not even sure I want the answer to, but I have to ask. So I'm just going to ask you and then you answer and then...uh, I'll go from there, okay?"

"Okay," Elena replied cautiously.

"Are you sleeping with my husband?"

"Not since before I knew he was married," Elena chuckled.

"Okay. Except, you know, it just...it felt like in the elevator like you two were having a lover's quarrel?"

"No. We're not. I've moved on. I'm dating Aaron."

"Oh," Lexi replied, realizing what was going on.

"Lexi."

"No, no. Thanks. I'm good. Thanks. I'm great." She then left. Meanwhile at St. Anne's Church, Jane-Anne, Bastiana, and Agnes were having a meeting with Father Kieran and Sophie.

"Sophie, you have the gall to reveal our private dealings to an outsider?" Bastiana asked.

"You're lucky I didn't go to Elena." The witches stiffened. "And the only reason I didn't was because I know she'd kill you all if she knew what you were up to."

"Which is why I'm not going to tell her either," Kieran replied. "You have to find another way."

"You think we do this lightly? The vampire presence in the Quarter is growing stronger. We need more power to fight them off. Harsh times call for harsh measures."

"This is a little more than harsh, Bastiana," Sophie snapped.

"You don't understand, because you don't believe. You've never believed," said Jane-Anne. "But I believe enough to put everything on the line for this."

"It's a myth, Jane-Anne."

"What you are planning to do is not only wrong; in my city, it's illegal," Kieran warned.

"In your city full of vampires?" Jane-Anne asked.

"The vampires and the human faction have an arrangement, just like we have with you all. Protect the locals, protect our homes, we look the other way. What you are planning goes too far."

"We are simply taking what we need. Our connection to our ancestors weakens over time. You sow, and you reap. That's the way the Harvest works," said Bastiana.

"I am the only ally the witches have in this town! And we both know Elena allies herself with the vampires more than you. Do you really wanna face Marcel without me? Because that is what you'll be dealing with if you go through with the Harvest." Sean O'Connell walked in, hearing their argument.

"Everything okay in here, Uncle Kieran?" he asked.

"We're just finishing, Sean. Right? I believe I've made myself clear."

"We'll take this matter to the elders," said Agnes before turning to Sean and grasping his hand in hers. "Continue your studies, Sean. Your uncle is an excellent role model." Sean nodded and as Agnes turned to leave, she muttered a hex under her breath.

At the hospital, Stefan was walking down a hallway when Lexi saw him and ran up to him.

"Stefan, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Excuse me?"

"How you pretend to love me, but really you're just using me to fill some need you have to be a good guy."

"Now is not the time to talk about this. We'll talk about this later."

"You walk away? That's all I get?"

"Just calm down, please."

"What? You're not going to yell at me? Call me names? Or I don't know...ignore me in an elevator?"

"What do you want from me, Lexi?"

"I want you to care! I sleep with your brother and you walk away. He comes out here from Mystic Falls and rubs it in your face, and still you get a good night's sleep. What do I have to do? Oh! I know. Maybe what I should do is go out on a date with the hospital's accountant. Because that seems to be something that sends you into a blind rage. Oh, but wait. That won't work either because I'm not Elena Gilbert!" Stefan looked down off the balcony at the floor below them. Lexi looked as well and saw Elena, Bonnie, Alaric, Damon among the other doctors and nurses. They had witnessed the entire scene. Awkward. Stefan sighed and walked away.

Later in the day, Bonnie received a page from The Pit. She ran down and saw Alaric working in the ER.

"Chief! How bad is it? It looks bad. Um, I'm here. I can help. If there's anything surgical, I can help."

"Why don't you go run Trauma 2, Dr. Bennett?" Alaric suggested.

"I get to run Trauma 2 all by myself?"

"Yes, but find me if you need help. And get consults."

"I'm on it." Bonnie ran off and Alaric walked to the entrance of the hospital where Meredith was wheeling a wounded Jesse inside. Apparently, he'd gotten injured in the crossfire between two New Orleans gangs.

"How bad is it?" Alaric asked.

"GSW to the right shoulder. He's lost a lot of blood."

"Get him to Trauma 1 and keep the blinds closed. Bennett's on the floor. Oh, and page Damon." As Damon walked past the window and entered the ER Jesse was in, Bonnie saw Jesse. She ran into the room.

"You're shot?" she asked.

"Bonnie?" Jesse asked.

"Get back to your station, Bennett," Alaric ordered.

"He's shot?"

"Bennett, we've got it. It's okay," said Meredith. "Okay. No exit wound."

"Entry upper right shoulder. Could be lodged in the spine. Lets roll him over," said Damon.

"Easy," Alaric warned.

"Watch the arm. Hey. Dr. Porter?" Damon asked.

"Hmm?"

"The bullet is in dangerous property here, okay? We need to check your hand function. I want you to try and squeeze my fingers, okay?"

"How is he?" Bonnie asked.

"I need you to wait outside," said Meredith.

"I'm not gonna wait outside. Jesse?"

"Can we have a moment?" Jesse asked.

"Only a moment. I don't want to waste any time, okay?" Alaric replied before they exited the room.

"Bonnie."

"Honey, you don't have to say anything. All that matters is that you get better and you get through this. And I'm here for you. Whatever you need. Anything."

"I need...you...to...to go...to check on Bill Forbes. He came in again this morning with problems with his heart transplant."

"Okay.

"Mm-hmm."

"Okay, that was my best 'supportive girlfriend' and you kind of ruined it with medicine. Okay?" They both chuckled and once Jesse was stabilized, he was moved into his own room. Alaric and Damon were looking at x-rays in the room.

"His hands are cold," said Damon to Alaric.

"My hands are always cold," Jesse interrupted. "I have cold hands."

"The bullet could be lodged in the brachial plexus. That's dangerous," Alaric murmured.

"Yes, very dangerous," Damon agreed before Jesse. "Enough with the hands always cold crap. How're you doing?"

"I'm developing numbness in my...fourth and fifth fingers," Jesse replied.

"There's a pseudo-aneurysm in the subclavian artery. You know the drill. Wait a few days, maybe the aneurysm won't grow."

"Yeah, if...if it stays this size, there's too much damage."

"We'll just go in there and we'll fix it. Relieve the compression on the nerves."

"But the operation could cause damage to the nerves."

"Yes."

"And I could...lose function of the entire arm."

"Yes."

"You can do this? You're good enough to do this?"

"I think so."

"But you're not sure."

"But I'm not sure."

"So...what do I do?"

"It's not like you to ask those kind of questions."

"It's not like you not to have the answers."

A few minutes later, Damon walked into a dark conference room. Alaric was sitting in the corner in a chair.

"There's never a good place to hide in this hospital," Alaric remarked.

"I'm trying to get perspective. Everything feels enormous. Like it's all just...I...I can't get perspective."

"I had a secret affair with Miranda Gilbert. And this morning, I found out that my wife knew the entire time. There was no secret. And she stayed with me."

"Hmm. I respect him, you know? Dr. Porter...I...I respect him. He's decent. He's honorable. An arrogant ass who just hogs the OR because he thinks he's God, but...he's decent and he's honorable. I respect him. He's one of the foremost cardiothoracic surgeons in the country and I've gotta just...it's his hand. I cannot get perspective. I can't do this. I can't be responsible for it."

"Jesse's an honorable and decent man, but, Damon, so are you. You are honorable and decent. And you're too honorable and decent to run." Alaric looked down into his coffee cup. "You don't know how much I wish this was bourbon." Damon chuckled and walked back into Jesse's room. Jesse had decided to go through with the surgery.

"You could take up fishing," said Damon.

"I don't fish."

"Fishing's a lot more fun than surgery."

"Damon."

"I'll do it, but don't thank me yet."

"Please try not to kill me."

"I'll do my best."

* * *

**Please review! ********And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	34. Radioactive

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

Once the OR was set up, Damon began surgery with Alaric observing.

"Okay, retract that little bit right there," he ordered to a doctor. "Okay, I am now removing the aneurysm from the nerve cluster."

"NAPs are dropping," said a nurse. "Arterial pressure's down 50 percent."

"Did you cut the nerve root?" Alaric asked.

"I don't see any discontinuity of the nerves. All right, let's do a, um, reflex test on his hand. Ric."

"I've got nothing," said Alaric after performing the test.

"Try it again."

"Uh-uh."

"This doesn't make sense. I'd know if I severed a nerve."

"Damon, is the arm paralyzed?"

"I have to do a wake-up test."

"Damon!" Alaric yelled, alarmed.

"There's only one person who can help me figure out whether or not I've damaged the relay or not, and that's Jesse."

"He's been through a lot of trauma today."

"I'm trying to prevent the trauma he's going to feel if I have to tell him he's paralyzed! Wake him up and get me Bonnie. Now!" As Jesse began to rouse, Bonnie entered the OR, scrubbed up. "He's just at the edge of consciousness. Very light. He should be up soon. Bennett, you know what to do. When he comes to he's going to be disoriented and he's probably gonna fight the intubation. We can't numb the arm because we need him to move his fingers. So, he's gonna be in a lot of pain. We need you to keep him focused, okay?"

"Okay. Jesse? Jesse, it's Bonnie. Wake up. Wake up. Baby, wake up. Do it for me. Open your eyes." His eyes opened. "Hi." Jesse began to fight the intubation.

"Get ready. Hold him down. Ric, hold his arm. Jesse? Jesse, look at me. Right here. Calm down. Listen, there was a complication. We can fix it. We need you to move your fingers on your right side. Can you do that?" Jesse looked around the room. "Come on, you can do this. Look at me. Look at me. On your right hand. Okay? It's just you, me, and Bonnie. We can do this. Focus. Now you're going to move your fingers on your right hand." Damon noticed the fingers wiggle. "Good. That's good. You're doing good. I need you to touch each finger of your right hand to your thumb." Damon watched as Jesse began to move his fingers. "One. Two. You're doing great. Keep going. Three. One more. That's good. That's good." Jesse passed the test and Damon put him back under. The rest of the surgery went off without a hitch.

Elsewhere in the hospital, Rose and Matt were in the middle of a fight.

"You never called," said Rose, her arms crossed.

"What?" Matt asked.

"Last night. We had plans and you went off with Caroline and you never called. You said you would."

"I got held up."

"So it seems."

"Listen, I'm sorry. Do you want to go to the fundraising gala with me tonight?"

"No. No I don't want to go with you." Rose walked off and Matt sighed. Caroline then walked up to Matt.

"What was that about?"

"She said she loved me in bed the other night."

"Oh."

"And I didn't say it back."

"Ooh," Caroline grimaced.

In another hallway, Stefan was standing in front of the OR board when Lexi walked up to him.

"Hey, how's Jesse?" Lexi asked.

"Damon says he's recovering nicely. Lexi…"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"All right."

"I mean we've come so far. You forgave me for Damon and we're trying."

"We are."

"We are trying."

"We're trying."

"And I was jealous when there was no need to be. Right?"

"Lexi?"

"What?"

"Will you go to the gala with me?" They both smiled.

That night, the fundraising gala for Tulane Medical Center was in full swing in the hospital's ballroom. Damon was leaning against a wall, a glass of bourbon in his hand, when Aaron approached.

"Hey," Aaron greeted.

"Hello," Damon replied tersely. He hated this kid with every ounce of his being.

"You seen Elena?"

"I don't think she's here yet." Damon and Aaron then looked to the stairs and saw Elena walk down the steps in a head-turning black velvet gown with a sequin-embellished bodice and silk-chiffon train. Aaron walked away to greet Elena and Damon looked away as Alaric approached him.

"Man, you've got it bad."

"Shut up," Damon growled.

Upstairs, Rose was walking through the hall when Matt saw her.

"Hey, I was looking for you...where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm wearing a dress, I have on heels, I shaved my legs. I'm going to the gala."

"You said that you didn't want to go."

"No, I said I didn't want to go with you."

"Rose!"

"I said I love you. I said it. I said it out loud to your face. And now I am just this idiot who says I love you and then gets avoided."

"No. I'm not avoiding you. I promise."

"You gonna say it back?"

"No."

"I'm humiliated."

"Wait. If I say it back right now, you'll know I'm just saying it because you said it to me. When...when I say I love you... I want to mean it, because...you just have to give me some time to mean it."

"I hate that I'm so into you." She kissed him. Downstairs, Elena was dancing with Aaron.

"You're a lot hotter than my last date at this thing," said Aaron.

"Is that a compliment?"

"Maybe."

"It feels like a compliment."

"Well, then it is."

"Well, keep it up. You might get lucky."

"Well, now, how lucky are we talking? Are we talking kind of lucky? Or are we talking really, seriously lucky?"

"You have been a very patient man and I appreciate it." Aaron sighed. "What?"

"Megan, uh...Megan was my wife. And when she died...you do this thing, you know, where you stop making plans. Because you had plans, but then there was an animal attack and your plans disappeared. So you just...I just try to get from sunup till sundown. That's as far into the future as I can handle. And I've been fine with that. I have. But right now, looking at you...Damn, I have all kinds of plans. Don't freak out."

"I'm not."

"You're not?"

"No. You have plans."

"I have plans." Elena looked past Aaron and saw Damon was looking at her, longingly. "You all right?"

"Yeah, um, just hot. And claustrophobic. You know, I'm just going to run and splash some cold water on my face. Be right back, okay?"

"Alright." Elena ran down the hall and as Damon moved, Alaric grabbed his arm.

"Now probably isn't a good time to go spilling your guts. She's still dealing with her dad, her sister, Stefan, John."

"I know who she is, Ric, and if she's going through her worst right now I want to go through it with her. She makes me happier than anything I've ever known. And if I can have a part in making her happy again, that's all I want to do. That's all I want to do for the rest of my life." Damon shook Ric's arm off and went after Elena. "Elena!"

"Leave me alone."

"Elena." She entered an exam room and Damon followed her.

"Just leave me alone."

"I just want to make sure you're all right."

"No! I'm not all right! Okay? Are you satisfied? I'm not all right! Because you picked your brother over me and he called me a whore and now you're looking at me. Stop looking at me!"

"I'm not looking at you."

"Yes, you are! And you watch me. And Aaron has plans and I like Aaron. He's perfect for me! And I'm really trying here to be happy! And I can't breathe! I can't breathe with you looking at me like that! So just stop!"

"Do you think I want to look at you? Don't you think I'd rather long after a woman who doesn't drive me crazy, that doesn't make it impossible for me to feel normal, who doesn't make me sick to my stomach thinking about the hospital accountant touching her with his hands! I would give anything not to be looking at you! I make bad choices that hurt you. That's who I am, Elena, and I'm not going to change and there's no apology in the world that encompasses all the reasons that I'm wrong for you."

"Damn you Salvatores. Once I think I'm out, you suck me right back in. I'm not sorry that I met you, Damon. I'm not sorry that knowing you has made me question everything. That you're the one that made me feel most alive. I lied. I can't ignore you. I can't move on from you because I'm not out of this relationship. I'm in. I'm so in it's humiliating because here I am, begging…"

"Elena."

"Shut up! Your choice. It's time that you finally make it. It's simple. You've been a terrible person. You've made all the wrong choices and of all the choices that I've made this will prove to be the worst one, but I'm not sorry that I'm in love with you. Damon, I love you. In a really, really big…pretend to like your taste in music, let you eat the last piece of cheesecake, hold a radio over my head outside your window…unfortunate way that makes me hate you, love you. So pick me. Choose me. Love me. Am I really so bad?"

"No. I am." He cupped her face and kissed her passionately with all the passion that existed inside of him for this girl, this woman who had so captured his soul. His twin flame. Her hands touched his face before carding into his hair.

Lips and tongues danced fluidly as they pulled each other closer, needing the feeling of flesh against flesh. His hands roamed over her body before pulling down the side zipper of her dress and resting on her hips. The sole strap holding Elena's dress up fell over her shoulder and the stunning fabric fell to the floor, leaving Elena only in her black bra and panty set.

"God, you're beautiful," Damon murmured as he kissed her shoulder and unhooked her bra.

"Don't stop kissing me."

"Never." His lips mashed against hers as he molded her bare breasts to his hands. Soft, sinful moans left Elena's lips as she loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. He pulled away, removing his jacket and shirt, before attaching his lips to the soft skin of her neck, nipping every silky patch he could find.

"I need you. Damon," Elena gasped as his kisses grazed the tips of her breasts before making their home on her navel. In a flash of vampire speed, he moved Elena to the bed and removed the rest of their clothing. As she wrapped her legs around him, he pushed into her.

"Oh, God! You're perfect," Damon moaned. They looked into each other's eyes and their gaze never faltered as they met each other's thrusts.

"Damon! Damon!"

"Let it all go. Come with me." They both yelled into their orgasms and collapsed into each other. Never had their union ever been so passionate. Damon stroked Elena's cheek before kissing her once more.

* * *

**Please review and check out Elena's dress on my tumblr. It's absolutely stunning! ********And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	35. Numb

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

In the gallery of an OR, Alaric was sitting alone in the dark when Meredith entered.

"Chief," Meredith called.

"Did my internship here. My residency. Came back here the minute my fellowship was done. The day they told me I would be Chief, I was standing right there in that OR when I got the news. Spent my whole career in this hospital. My whole life."

"Sir…Bill Forbes died."

"Damn it."

Back in the exam room, Damon and Elena were dressing.

"I don't want to sound like a girl, but what does this mean?" Damon asked.

"I had panties on. Black. Do you see them?"

"Elena, what does this mean?"

"Help me look for them. And fix your tie."

"Elena. What does this mean?" Suddenly, Rose entered, shocked. She knew right away the two had had sex.

"Oh, sorry. The nurse told me to come find you, Elena. You have to come now. It's Caroline." Elena turned to look at Damon and then left. She walked toward Bill's room and saw Caroline silently crying on the bed. Bill's complexion was very dull.

"Caroline," Elena murmured.

"I think it was a stroke. He was prone to blood clots. A clot could have formed on his sutures and traveled to his brain. It only takes a second," Caroline whispered. "I don't know why I didn't think of blood clots. He died all alone. He was alone."

"There was nothing you could have done. Care, there are things that they need...they need to move him."

"Take him to the morgue."

"You can't stay here. I know you want to."

"Can you please...please just get out? I want to be alone with my father." Elena knew her and her father were close and wasn't exactly sure what to say. Tyler then entered the room.

"Caroline, that's not your dad."

"Shut up," Caroline whispered.

'Care, that's not your dad. The minute his heart stopped beating, he stopped being your dad. He wouldn't want you doing this to yourself. It's not Bill, not anymore."

"An hour ago he was talking to me and now he's going to the morgue. Isn't that ridiculous?"

"Come on." Tyler picked her up and carried her to a chair, holding her in his arms. Elena left the room, needing some air. She walked a short distance and saw Alaric leaning against the wall.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi." There was a significant pause between the two. "I've been going over this and over this in my mind trying to piece this together. It's been driving me crazy keeping it all in so I'm just going to say it. It was you." Alaric looked at Elena, worried. "You were the reason my parents broke up. And it wasn't just an affair. She really loved you. It wasn't just this cheap thing where she didn't tell you she was married. It wasn't all a lie. She left her husband for you. But you stayed with your wife because it was the right thing to do. Maybe safe, but she was the right person for you to be with. And let's face it, my mother? Nothing wrong with being safe. Being with the good guy because he's good. And we are talking about forever here. You've never regretted your decision. You've never looked back."

"Are we still talking about me? Or are we talking about you?" Elena sent Alaric a devastated look. She was so conflicted.

"Tell me what to do, Alaric. I've tried to do it on my own, but I can't anymore. I'm so tired of thinking on my own."

"Welcome to adulthood. I'm not going to tell you what to do. You already know." Elena nodded. "He loves you."

"I know. I've always known." Elena walked down a hallway and right as she was about to turn in a hallway, a green powder flew in her face. Taken aback, Elena fell down and coughed, instantly feeling herself grow weaker. She looked up and saw Jane-Anne and John, standing above her.

"Hello, niece," John greeted.

"Iron…sulphate."

"Yes. With a pinch of Valerian herbs. Have a nice sleep, Elena." Growing dizzy, Elena lost consciousness. "Let's hurry. That hypnotic won't keep her down for long. She has a high metabolism." Jane-Anne and John grabbed Elena and took her down to the basement of the hospital. When Elena drowsily came to, she found herself chained to the wall. She groaned as her head pounded. Her vision drawing into focus, she looked around and saw Sophie chained up as well, next to her.

"Sophie?"

"I tried to stop them, to warn you, but they caught me."

"Who is…they?"

"Did you have a nice nap, Elena?" John asked, emerging from the shadows with Jane-Anne, two other witches from the Quarter Coven, and an all too familiar Traveller Elena recognized.

"Gregor?"

"It has been a long time, Miss Elena," Gregor replied with a thick Romanian accent.

"What are you doing now, John?"

"I'm ensuring the survival of a witch coven."

"For what in exchange?" John chuckled and removed a small gold device from his pocket. "No. You wouldn't dare."

"I'm doing what we should have done to those monsters in the beginning. New Orleans is a hotbed of vampire activity. It's the perfect place to begin my crusade."

"What is that thing?" Sophie asked.

"It is a device created by my grandfather," Elena answered. "Johnathan Gilbert. It's a weapon against vampires and werewolves. It emits a high sonic pitch beyond the hearing of humans. It's been dormant for decades. In order to re-activate it…"

"It must be bathed in the blood of the strongest Petrova Traveller that is currently alive."

"That would be me," Elena replied to Sophie's confused look. "I'm going to die."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Elena. I'm just going to cut your wrist open and let all your blood seep onto it. Let's get to it, shall we? I don't have all day." John removed Elena's arms from their shackles and with the help of Gregor cut deeply into the radial arteries of Elena's wrists. She groaned in pain. "Don't be such a baby. It's just a little cut."

"I'm going to kill you when I get my powers back."

"I doubt that." They squeezed her wrists and blood poured out of the wounds onto the device. It glowed brightly and the two Travellers locked Elena back up. "Tomas, stay here and watch them. The rest of you join the others. Oh, and before I forget." John approached Elena and then stabbed her in the stomach with a knife. He removed the blade and Elena gasped in pain. "Let her bleed out. There's no need to keep her alive any longer." The witches sans Tomas left the room and Elena slumped over. A few minutes into their imprisonment, Tomas found a chair to sit in and a magazine to read.

"You really don't look good," said Sophie as the color began to leave Elena's face.

"Well, that's because I'm bleeding out," Elena huffed, trying to remain conscious.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. I should have killed that bastard centuries ago. Did they douse you in iron sulphate?" Elena asked in a hushed tone.

"Yeah. It's starting to wear off," Sophie whispered.

"Good. We aren't going to get out of this mess unless we get some help. At the treaty signing, do you remember the black-haired, blue-eyed vampire?"

"Marcel's friend, ridiculously sexy?"

"That's the one. His name is Damon. He's the only one I trust to get us out of this mess. Do you remember that spell I taught you?"

"Magic transference?"

"Yes. Transfer as much power to me as you can and I will contact him. Do it while the idiot over there still isn't watching." Sophie nodded and whispered a spell under her breath. Elena gasped as she felt Sophie's magic. Across the hospital, a searing pain broached Damon's skull. Stefan was the first to notice Damon's pain.

"Hey. You okay?"

"Do I look okay to you! What's happening to me?" Damon's pain then turned into a sole voice in his head.

_Damon. Help. Help me._

"Elena?"

"Elena?" Stefan asked.

"She's in my head."

_Help me. Bleeding out. John crazy. In basement._ Elena then lost her concentration.

"That son of a bitch."

"What! What's going on?" Stefan asked.

"John's planning something. He's in the hospital. Evacuate all the humans and gather all the vampires. Tell them to search for John."

"And what makes you think they're going to listen to me?"

"Tell them it's an order from Marcel. I don't care. Just do it. I'm going to find Elena." At vampire speed, Damon flashed down to the basement and kicked down the door. Tomas was taken by surprise and Elena chuckled.

"That's what you get for sleeping on the job, Tomas," Elena smirked. Before Tomas could cast a spell, Damon snapped his neck. He moved toward Sophie, prepared to kill her.

"No, not her. She's with me." Elena cried out in pain.

"You're bleeding."

"John stabbed me."

"I'm going to kill him this time."

"Not if I get to him first. I've lost about a pint."

"How are you still conscious?" Damon asked as he ripped her bindings off.

"Just bloody heal me already."

"We're in the hospital. It's against the rules."

"We're in the freakin' basement, Damon! Heal me so we can kick John's ass!" Damon bit his wrist and placed the wound to her mouth. As she drank, the wounds on her wrists and stomach sealed.

"Thank you," Elena whimpered as Damon wiped his blood off her lips.

"Don't mention it." They freed Sophie and then began to walk upstairs. Annoyed by her heels, Elena removed them and pushed them into Damon's arms.

"Don't lose those. They're new. Sophie, go to my car. It's unlocked. There's a bag in the trunk. Get it."

"What are you going to do?"

"First, I'm going to take a shower. Now go!" Sophie ran off.

"Um, we have a crazy Traveller running around the hospital. Do you really think taking a shower is such a good idea right now?"

"John weakened me with iron sulphate. It's a magic suppressant that I created." Damon shot her a look. "Don't even get me started on the irony. The granules stick to the skin, but it dissolves in water. I have to take a shower." They ran into the locker room. "There's no time to change. Looks like I'm going to have to ruin my expensive dress."

"Hmm. And it's such a nice once. I'll miss it."

"Shut up. And turn around."

"You'll let me see you naked, but not wet?"

"Damon!" Rolling his eyes, Damon turned around. He heard the spray of water and Elena's gasp at the cold temperature. "Alright. Turn around. My power's back. I feel it."

"Now what? We don't know where John is."

"I know where he is. Heading to the ballroom. I can feel my blood."

"What? What's going on? What did he do?" Damon asked as they ran down the hall.

"He going to use an old Traveller Device that incapacitates vampires and werewolves."

"Werewolves? I thought those were a myth."

"No. They're real. We have to hurry before he turns it on." When they reached the ballroom, Elena spotted John among the people. "JOHN!" The entire room grew silent and the music cut off.

"Hmm. You escaped," said John.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do." John switched a button on the device and all the vampires in the room including Damon fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Those humans not affected by the device ran away, screaming, not sure what was going on.

"My head, what's happening?" Stefan groaned. John laughed.

"The destruction of the vampires is what's happening!" John yelled, holding the device above his head.

"Electriza! _(Electrify!)_" Elena commanded and a streak of lightning came from the overhead lights and hit the device, blowing it into pieces and ceasing its effects.

"No!" John yelled as he grasped his semi-burnt hand.

"I warned you, John. You're in a bit of a pickle. Not only have you pissed me off, but also a room of hungry vampires." Rose, Damon, Stefan, and Lexi rose from the ground along with others, dark veins emerging below their eyes.

"Can I kill him now?" Damon asked.

"No one interferes unless I tell you to," Elena ordered. "Find Sophie." Suddenly, John charged toward Elena a dagger with intricate carvings on it at the ready.

"Elena!" Damon yelled.

"Elena, heads up!" Sophie yelled as she threw Elena her own dagger. Elena parried John's blow, metal scraping against metal.

"You're not the only one with a pretty knife, John."

"How did you get your hands on a Traveller knife?"

"I stole it from your wife, Isobel."

"You knew Isobel?"

"Of course. Quite the yapper she is."

"Where is she! I've been searching for her."

"Like I said, quite the yapper, up until I killed her with this very blade. So foolish, trying to seal my power and take me back to the Elders. I have made my stance clear! It appears they aren't hearing me. I suppose I'll have to speak louder and take out one of their favorite guards! _Discipuli!_ (Blaze!)" John noticed Elena's blade begin to turn red and backed up. A wave of fire left the tip of Elena's blade. John jumped over a table and flipped it over, protecting himself from the blast. "Sophie, I want an AC!"

"You're crazy!"

"Do it now! Have the vampires help you!"

"What's an AC?" Rose asked as Elena continued her knife/magic fight with John.

"It's code for ashwood circle. Ashwood prevents a witch from performing spells temporarily. There's four branches of it in Elena's bag. We'll set three to the north, east, and west walls. The circle doesn't have to completely connect to work. The four pieces just have to be in place. Let's hurry. I don't know for how much longer she can keep that up." As Sophie and the vampires set to work, Elena parried another one of John's swings.

"You always were jealous that I was more powerful than you," said Elena.

"In your dreams, little girl."

"Pig!" What John didn't know was that Elena was cornering him into the circle.

"Elena!" Damon yelled as he threw Elena the last remaining branch. John's eyes widened in realization. Elena dropped the branch in front of her, completing the circle.

"No!" he yelled.

"That's your problem, John. No strategy. Ab ortu enim solis usque ad somnum. _(Sleep until the sun rises_.)" John then fell unconscious.

"That's it?" Damon asked. "Boy, that was anticlimactic."

"Shut up. He'll only sleep until the sun rises or I rescind the spell. We'll deal with him momentarily. Sophie!"

"Yes?"

"Bag!" Sophie hurried over to Elena with her bag. Elena pulled out a glass jar of iron sulphate and placed a few pinches of it on John. "That'll incapacitate him for awhile. Now…you are going to tell me exactly why John is working with my witches. Oh, and where is that little weasel Gregor?"

"Oh, I saw him outside so I knocked him out," said Sophie. "He's in your trunk."

"Oh, good."

"The witches…they've disobeyed you."

"Well, that's not anything new."

"They're moving forward with The Harvest."

"WHAT! I gave very specific instructions!"

"I know. They don't care. All they care about is the Power."

"Damnit! This was a distraction."

"I told Marcel that The Harvest was happening tonight. Don't be angry."

"Why didn't you notify me of this sooner!"

"I just found out today and they caught me trying to come to you. I tried to reason with my sister, but…"

"Alright, alright. Marcel knows. That's good. He may be able to stop it before I get there. Let's go!"

"What about John?" Lexi asked.

"We're taking him with us. The witches don't believe I'm serious about my promises. It's time to give them some proof."

* * *

**Please review! ********And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	36. Anthem of the Lonely

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

When Elena and her group had arrived just outside Lafayette Cemetery, three of the girls for The Harvest had been sacrificed, their necks slit open. Sophie had gone on ahead of Elena and the vampires of Tulane Medical to assess the situation. Elena felt the chaos, the unrest of the spirits there, their anger at the bloodshed. She also heard the growls of vampires. Marcel had arrived, more blood would be shed. No. It had to stop. Suddenly, the ground began to shake.

"ENOUGH!" Elena boomed. Vampires and witches turned to see Elena emerge from the mist, Lexi, Stefan, Damon, and Rose behind her.

"Do not interfere, Elena," said Bastiana.

"SILENCE!" The witches cowered. "Rose?" Rose then handed Elena a bottle of iron sulphate. Elena removed the stopper and sprayed the mineral into the wind. It covered the witches. "I have just neutralized all your powers. So for your own sake, don't do anything stupid like running or I'll let these guys bite into your necks. Marcel, thank you for stopping these fools. Take the girl to a safe place. She's too much of a temptation for these idiots."

"Are you going to punish them?" Marcel asked.

"Yes. Would you like to watch?"

"I would love to."

"Good. We'll be at the docks in thirty minutes. Don't be late. Do you mind if I borrow your posse to transport them?"

"Not at all. Everyone! Do as she says until I get back." Marcel then took Davina, the sole survivor of the massacre, with him. Sophie stood still in amazement.

Half an hour later, the witches were gathered at the docks surrounded by vampires. Marcel had just arrived.

"About time you showed. I was just about to start without you," said Elena.

"Please tell me this is going to be fun."

"Very. Now first, I think a verbal reprimand is in order." Damon smirked. This was going to be good. "Common Witches, when I give an order, it's not a statement, it's not a suggestion. It's a bloody edict! Now let me just tell you a little bit about the day I've had. I've had to deal with wounded boyfriends, dead dads, and secret affairs. I was trussed up like a common prisoner and almost bled out. I am exhausted, pissed off, but also WET! I had to ruin my favorite dress because you all are idiots who don't understand the order of things! In light of that, I have realized that my words don't seem to be impacting you that much. So I am going to take a page out of my grandmother's grimoire…metaphorically speaking. Actions always speak louder than words." Elena signaled Damon and he and Stefan dragged John and Gregor into the circle of vampires and witches. "You remember John and Gregor, don't you?" Elena nudged Gregor awake with her foot. "Wake up, Oink."

"I hate that nickname," Gregor groaned.

"He used to take care of my father's pigs several centuries ago and he'd always land in the mud when he was corralling them. We called him Oink." The vampires chuckled. "Don't be stupid and try any spells. They'll just backfire in your face."

"You spelled me."

"I did. I permanently sealed your powers. They're lost to you. But I'd like you to watch something, Gregor. I'm going to give a demonstration of my magic. A valuable lesson to you all I'm sure." Elena then rescinded the spell she placed on John. Groggily, he woke up. "Grab him!" Damon and Stefan took John by the arms. "Hello, Uncle. Have a nice nap?" John looked at Stefan and Damon. "Oh, now none of that. No vampire migraines for you. You're covered in iron sulphate, John. I've taken all the proper precautions."

"I'm going to kill you."

"Yeah, yeah. Different decade, same tune. Now, I'm going to do to you what I should have done right after I Awakened. I've thought of your punishment for ever touching me for decades. First, I thought I'd just take your powers and watch you wither into nothing and die, but then I thought that's too much of an easy out for you. I wouldn't ever want you to find peace or any of that crap with Isobel. So I came up with something a little more…creative. For those Common Witches, you are about to witness the first Traveller spell I've ever conducted in New Orleans."

"What do you mean first spell?" Sophie asked. "You do spells all the time."

"In the Latin language of the Commons, dear. Not in the Romanian language of the Travellers. The Ancient Romanian tongue of the Travellers increases the spell by 100%." Elena then removed her dagger from her leather coat. "Prin sângele Travellers, spiritele auzi comanda mea. Rândul său, acest om de piatră și lasă păcatele sale îl chinuie pentru totdeauna._ (By the blood of the Travellers, spirits hear my command. Turn this man to stone and let his sins forever torment him.)_"

"No, that's impossible!" John asked, having translated the spell.

"Enjoy your new purgatory, John!" She thrust the dagger into his chest and he screamed in pain as his body was turned to stone. All the witches gasped in shock. "And he shall remain in this state for all eternity. A fitting punishment, I think. Diego, would you be a doll, wrap him up all nice, and dump him into the Mississippi?"

"My pleasure, Miss Gilbert."

"Such a nice boy. Now, Gregor, I would like you to send a message to the Traveller Elders in person. Meddle in my affairs again and I'll leave their home a graveyard of stone bodies. Do you need me to translate that in Romanian for you?"

"They will not listen. They are set in their ways." Elena's cheerful manner then turned menacing.

"Și crezi că eu nu sunt stabilite într-a mea? Îmi place viața mea de aici! Te avertizez, Gregor! New Orleans este în afara limitelor! Voi dezvălui totul despre primul și va ploua sânge! _(And you think I am not set in mine? I like my life here. I'm warning you, Gregor. New Orleans is off limits. I'll reveal all about The First and it will rain blood.)_" Gregor visibly gulped. "Now, run along, Oink. I don't ever want to see you again."

Stefan nudged Damon. "Hey, you speak a little Romanian. You catch any of that?"

"I'm a little rusty, Stefan. Something about New Orleans off limits and raining blood. Sounded scary."

"Elders, come forward for punishment!" Five witches including Agnes and Bastiana came forward.

"We accept that our magic will be taken away," said Bastiana.

"You are correct. Your magic will be stripped from you. But not all of you." The elders looked at each other confused.

"But you said…"

"I did say I would strip you of magic. However, I'm feeling generous. There were some pretty decent moments during my crappy day and I'm reliving them in my head right now." She sent a smirk to Damon and he chuckled. "Only one of you will lose your magic and it will prove my point. But which one of you to pick. Decisions, decisions." Elena tapped her knife against his hand.

"I will accept punishment, Traveller," Agnes stepped forward.

"Oh, Agnes. So valiant, so noble. No, I'm not going to strip you of your magic, especially after the little stunt you pulled at St. Anne's Church. I want you to see and experience the consequence of your actions. The spirits are not pleased."

"What are you talking about?" Elena grabbed Agnes by the throat.

"Do not lie to me! It is unforgivable. You know exactly of the sin I speak of. I have decided. The one who shall lose her powers. As you were the one to perform the ritual, Bastiana, you will be stripped of your magic." Bastiana stepped forward. "Kneel." Bastiana stepped down onto her knees. Elena then used her blade to cut her hand. She dipped her finger into the wound and drew various symbols across the inside of her arms. "Stefan, Damon, would you mind keeping her in place? The spell can get rather…rowdy." Damon and Stefan nodded and placed their hands on Bastiana's shoulders.

"Filthy vampires. Get your hands off me!" Bastiana protested.

"Silence, Bastiana. Save your voice for the screaming." Bastiana sent a puzzled look toward Elena. "Prin sângele Traveller pentru că comune, ia magia asta pentru păcatele împotriva Comunității. Trimite-o pustie. _(Through the blood of the Traveller to that of the Common, take away this one's magic for sins against the Community. Send it to the Wasteland.)_." The blood symbols on Elena's arms then took a life of their own, crawling down her arms and onto the ground before attaching themselves to Bastiana. As they touched her skin, they visibly burned her flesh. Bastiana screamed in pain as the witches gasped, some of them turning away, "Stefan, Damon, you can let go now. As you all can see, this spell is quite painful. It literally burns the magic right out of you. It's quite different from the sealing spell I did on Gregor. I thought I'd spare him the burn marks. He has such a pretty face. Hopefully, this will make you think twice before doing something this stupid ever again. You all are excused."

"Elena, I thought you said we would be able to get revenge on those who allied themselves with John," said Lexi pointedly. "I don't particularly like the feeling of needles entering my brain a thousand times."

"Oh, yeah. That's right. I almost forgot. Have fun with the Elders. But not Agnes. I want her to suffer."

"Traveller, what are you doing?" Jane-Anne asked as Damon, Stefan, Lexi, and Rose approached the Elders, prepared to feed.

"Marcel and his posse had their share of you all during the Harvest while my other four friends here were at the mercy of John and the Gilbert Device, a device that may I remind you, you helped him with. They just want a little justice and I made a promise. I don't break my promises. Have at it, boys. They're all yours. The rest of you can go." Elena's chuckles were drowned out by the screams of the Elders sans Agnes as they were fed on. Marcel accompanied Elena as she walked toward the Quarter.

"You are one scary witch, fair Elena," Marcel chuckled.

"It's all an act, Marcel. All an act. I don't like to be that ruthless, but sometimes it's necessary. Even though they'd never admit it, witches are a lot like vampires. They only believe a show of force." Elena took a sharp inhale and then leaned against a stone wall.

"You okay?"

"No. I'm not. I've used a lot of magic today. I think I've about reached my quota for the week."

"Here. Let me help you. Those heels must be killing you." Marcel picked up Elena bridal style and then noticed the intimate position he'd taken. "Don't tell Damon I did this."

"I need to see the girl. Davina. I need to speak with her."

"I'm keeping her in the Abattoir for now. I'll move her afterwards. Do you want to take her to your house?"

"Absolutely not. Too predictable. Even though I believe I've proven my point, the witches are sneaky. They could try to complete The Harvest. You need to keep her safe until after the Reaping."

"I know."

"I'm so tired. This day has sucked. Well, other than in the exam room…" Marcel sent Elena a look. "Forget about it."

"I smell Damon on you. Did you two…"

"Marcel, forget about it," Elena repeated sternly.

"Oh, he never gives up that's for sure. I'll get some clothes for you to change into. I'm sure you're freezing in this dress."

"Thank you."

Shortly thereafter, they arrived at the Abbatoir. Elena changed clothes and then knocked on a slightly ajar door. Davina was looking out the window sniffling.

"Davina?" Davina turned to see Elena, holding some clothes. "I brought some clothes for you to change into."

"Aunt Elena."

"Good. You remember me."

"Of course. You used to babysit me."

"It's…unfortunate what happened to your mother. I'm sorry."

"Can I go home now? This place is kind of creepy."

"You get used to it. I'm afraid you can't go home, Davina. It's not safe for you and I may not always be around, but you can trust Marcel. He's a good friend of mine, a good man. He's going to keep you safe. And I will visit you as soon as I can. Us girls have to stick together. For now, I will get you whatever you need. It's been a while since I've last seen you so I'm sure your tastes have changed. What do you like to do?"

"Draw."

"An artist. That's lovely. I'll have Marcel buy out Vincent's for you tomorrow."

"Elena?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know what I really want? I want to make them pay." Elena nodded.

"I believe I sufficiently punished them, but they seem to be always plotting behind my back. Marcel has a plan, for all the witches in the Quarter to stop using magic. I agree with it. This coven's hunger for power is growing out of control, but he'll need your help to enforce his rules. Will you help him?" Davina nodded.

"Thank you. I will come to see you soon, child. I promise, but for now I need to sleep. I'm very tired." Elena moved to get up, but Davina grabbed her arm. "Yes?"

"Would you mind sleeping here? With me? I'm…scared."

"Very well. Let us both recover from tonight's events." Davina nodded and turned on her side to sleep while Elena snuffed out the candles. As she heard Davina's sniffling, Elena hugged the girl. The least she could do was provide some comfort for the poor girl.

Meanwhile at Rousseau's, Jane-Anne and Sophie were both sobbing and arguing.

"I swear, I had no idea that the Harvest could possibly be real!" Sophie yelled.

"But the one thing that you were sure of is that I was wrong, and that I would risk Monique's life on a maybe. And now my daughter is dead."

"Please tell me how to fix this."

"Now that Marcel has Davina, how we are even supposed to find her? If we don't finish the Harvest, Monique and those two other girls are dead for real."

"Look at me. You and I are gonna find a way to get Monique back. It'll be our little secret. We'll do it together. I'll seal off the cemetery from the vampires, find Davina, stop Marcel and finish the ritual under Elena's nose once and for all. Even if I have to slit Davina's throat myself."

* * *

**Please review! ********And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	37. Under The Milky Way

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

Elena woke up early the next morning and after she left Marcel's house, she picked up a newspaper from a local street vendor. The St. Anne's Church Massacre was splashed across the front page. Elena knew it would be the talk of the town for weeks and hoped that the coverage would make Agnes think twice about performing dangerous hexes. If the woman had any soul at all, she would suffer with guilt for the rest of her natural born life. Believing her Traveller business to be resolved, Elena thought about what she would be entering when she returned home. In the OR, time loses all meaning. In the midst of sutures and saving lives, the clock ceases to matter. Fifteen minutes, fifteen hours, inside the OR the best surgeons make time fly. Outside the OR, however, time takes pleasure in kicking our asses. For even the strongest of us, it seems to play tricks. Slowing down, hovering, until it freezes, leaving us stuck in a moment, unable to move in one direction or the other. When Elena entered her house and climbed up the stairs to her bedroom, she saw Tyler, Matt, and Bonnie standing by the bathroom door.

"Caroline's in there," Bonnie whispered to Elena. "She quit her job at the hospital."

"She's been in there all night. We have to do something," said Matt. Tyler, Matt, and Bonnie looked at Elena.

"Why are you all looking at me?"

"Because this is familiar territory for you," Bonnie replied.

"There is nothing familiar about this. Unfamiliar. Bill died. Her father died."

"Yeah, but you're all dark and twisty inside."

"Dark and twisty?"

"What, with the Alzheimer's thing and the father you don't talk to."

"And the tequila thing, and the inappropriate men thing," Tyler added.

"You are dark and twisty inside, Elena, and now Caroline is dark and twisty inside," said Matt.

"So all of a sudden I'm the president for people with crappy lives?"

"It's just we have to do something. Someone has to go in there." After a few minutes of whispered argument, Matt finally broached the door. Caroline was lying on the floor, still dressed in her gown for the gala. Matt laid on the floor, facing Caroline who was devastated and seemed to be in a daze.

"What?" Caroline asked.

"Maybe you should change your clothes. Wear something more comfortable."

"Stop it!"

"Caroline."

"Stop it. I mean it! Stop…talking. There is nothing to talk about. Do you understand me? There is nothing to discuss."

"I'm so sorry," he whispered softly.

"Yeah, me too." Meanwhile, Elena and Bonnie were in the kitchen. Elena was making sandwiches while Bonnie sat on the countertop, reading a magazine.

"Why are we making sandwiches again?" Bonnie asked.

"It's what you do when someone dies. You cook."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know what to do when someone dies. I am a Jew. I know food and death. It's Shiva."

"Is it Shiva even if she's Catholic?"

"Well, Shiva's what I know how to do so….yeah, it's Shiva. And if we're setting Shiva for Bill, then we should order in because making sandwiches is not the same as cooking."

"Sandwiches are comfort food." Elena took a bite out of a sandwich.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Everything with me is fine! It's Caroline that we're worried about!"

"Oh, God. What did you do?"

"Bill died, Jesse got shot, let's just have some perspective and remember that what I did is a tiny, slightly small..."

"Whatever, spit it out!"

"I lost my panties last night." Bonnie stared at Elena, shocked.

Later, Matt had left for work and teamed up with Damon in the pit.

"Giselle Toussaint, 22 year old woman, driver, the car bumped into a railing. She was ejected from the car," said the ER doctor to the two.

"She…we were coming to the ER, we were both sick. We couldn't shake off this flu thing so…she was better so I let her drive," said Giselle's husband, Omar.

"Subdural laceration," said Damon as he examined her. "She's losing spinal fluid. Let's get an OR ready, okay?" Suddenly, Omar began to cough and Matt attended to him.

"He's burning up!"

"Can somebody get him a bed? Let's get her to the OR right away!" Once they were in the OR, Matt assisted Damon who was operating on Gisele.

"The clot's been taken out. Are you ready to close?" Matt asked.

"I just want to make sure there are no more little bone fragments left. How is Caroline?"

"As well as can be expected."

"It never gets easier you know, losing people. It never gets easier."

Meanwhile, Bonnie was in a state of shock in Elena's kitchen.

"You had sex with Damon in an exam room at the gala?"

"Yes."

"Last night? You and Salvatore did it."

"Yes."

"You and McSteamy did the nasty nasty…"

"Bonnie!"

"I am not judging. I am just trying to wrap my mind around it. I mean you're with Aaron. Well, what did Damon say?"

"He said 'Elena, what does this mean?'"

"Okay, he has sex with you and he's standing there all McGuilty and all he has to say from himself is 'Oh... What does this mean?'" Bonnie scoffed. "What does this mean? "

"I don't know."

"What? Are you gonna go back to Aaron? What about Damon's deal with his brother?"

"I don't know."

At the hospital, Alaric was in his office, speaking with Jenna.

"You didn't have to make an appointment to see me. I'm your husband."

"Well, an appointment seemed to be the only way I could get your undivided attention because here you are."

"Jenna."

"Sit down."

"Jenna!"

"Sit down! We have an appointment." Meredith then walked into the office.

"Chief! Excuse me. Um…the CDC is here. We had a couple come in this morning. Damon just finished a craniotomy on the wife, but the husband, he's got severe flu symptoms, swollen lymph node, bubos. It turns out they came in contact with…"

"The plague? Look, I'm sorry, Jenna, but I need to deal with this." Jenna looked at him, shocked.

In the locker room, Matt was preparing to leave when Damon stopped by the doorway.

"Nice work today, Donovan! Is Elena at home with Caroline?"

"Yeah. Bonnie too. I'm going now."

"Yeah, me too."

"Oh, great. It's just…I don't know if Caroline's up for a lot of people."

"I'll just see Elena. I need to talk to her about something."

"Oh, okay." As Damon and Matt were about to leave, a man, wearing a white decontamination suit, stopped them.

"Dr. Salvatore?"

"Yes."

"Dr. Donovan?"

"Yeah."

"I'm with the CDC. Is there anyone else in this room?"

"No," they both replied.

"Did you perform the surgery on Mrs. Toussaint?"

"Yes," Damon replied.

"She and her husband were in close contact with a victim of the plague. She may have been exposed."

"Which means we may have been."

"Yeah."

"I got to go. I can't do this."

"We're waiting for the diagnosis on Mrs. Toussaint. This room will be sealed off until we know that the threat has been contained and you're absolutely safe. "

"You are not saying that we…" Matt trailed off.

"You cannot leave. You two are quarantined." The man shut the door on them. Later in the hallway, Alaric and Meredith were talking about the quarantine.

"CDC has everything under control?" he asked.

"They work fast. Anyone who was in contact with the Toussaints is under quarantine. Salvatore and Donovan are not happy. Everything is under control if you need to get back to your wife."

"Oh no. I should shake hands with the CDC rep. I have to stay on top of my hospital. Keep me posted."

At Elena's house, Elena heard the doorbell. When she opened the door, she saw Rose with an armful of bags of food.

"I brought food," said Rose.

"Uh…Matt isn't here."

"I know. He's in quarantine because of a thing and I was off-duty and I was worried about him and going crazy and I thought about Caroline so I brought food."

"For the Shiva?"

"Are you gonna let me in?"

"Yeah. Come in." Rose crossed the threshold.

"Relax, I'm not gonna bring it up, you and Damon and the sex. I'm not that person."

"Good," Elena exhaled.

"Shiva? Is it Shiva if Caroline's Catholic?"

"Did you say quarantine?" Elena asked as they walked toward the kitchen. Upstairs, Bonnie was lying next to Caroline on the bathroom floor.

"This thing that you're doing, Caroline, it's not healthy. You gotta take off that dress. Get off the floor, take off that dress, and take a shower."

"Tell me about Shiva."

"Well, it's something that you do when someone dies. You know, we did it for my grandmother."

"How does it work?"

"People bring over food. Family comes over. It's supposed to help with the grieving you know? It honors the dead."

"Sounds nice."

"Hmm…yeah. There's a lot of rules. Seven days of no other shoes, no work, no sex, no sitting on things higher than a foot, no shaving, no…"

"What?"

"No clean clothes. Caroline, this doesn't have to be Shiva."

"I'll never see my father again. A part of my life is just gone. How would you feel if you never saw Jesse again? We're setting Shiva for my dad."

At the hospital, two CDC men were guarding the locker room Matt and Damon were locked in. Damon was lying on a bench, reading a magazine while Matt paced the room.

"The man was exposed to the plague," said Matt.

"They don't know if it's the plague," Damon replied as he flipped a page of his magazine.

"So the men in the white suits…it's what, a fashion statement?"

"No, it's a precaution! When the blood results come back we'll get out of here."

"What if the results come back and she has the plague? Then what? We get the plague and we die in here with the crappy benches and the dirty scrubs and the lockers full of old food."

"Well, you'll die." Matt glared at Damon.

"Right. Vampire. I hate you. Is it hot in here?"

"No."

"Why am I sweating?"

"Cause you're pacing, idiot."

"Now my pulse is rapid."

"Because you're still pacing!"

"Can you feel me?" Matt asked as he touched his forehead.

"No. I'm not gonna feel you. I don't do men."

"Seriously? And ew."

"Seriously. No."

"You're an ass." Damon laughed. "You've lived. You've done things. And you've got the hair and the good looks."

"What's your point?"

"My point is you've lived! If you die who cares?"

"I'm not going to die."

"If I die…what? This is it? Rose told me she loves me and I just sat there. I mean I wasn't ready! But now I'm gonna die and I haven't a chance to say 'I love you' back!"

"Do you? Do you love her?"

"She loves me."

"That wasn't the question."

"Maybe. Eventually, I could. Someday…soonish."

"Soonish! I will love you soonish?" Damon laughed, but then thought about it seriously for a moment. "You should tell her. Even if it's soonish. You should tell her before it's too late."

"You mean before I die with the plague?"

"Before somebody else comes along."

At Elena's house, Rose was cooking, a bit bored, while Elena talked to her.

"Everyone thinks I know what to say to her. I don't know what to say to her. Dark and twisty Elena. I'm not dark and twisty. And if I am dark and twisty, it's because I live my life under a banner of avoidance. I avoid. I'm an avoider." Aaron then entered the house.

"Hello?"

"Hey!" Elena replied, surprised and annoyed.

"Hey," Aaron greeted as he walked into the kitchen.

"So, can we, uh...?

"Caroline. I have to check on Caroline." She left.

"Don't take it personally. It's the doctor thing," said Rose.

"What?"

"Four years of high school. Four years of college. Four years of med school. At the time we graduate we're on our late twenties and we haven't done anything except go to school and think about science," said Rose, thinking back on her observations of all the doctors she'd met across the time she'd been alive. "Time stops we're socially retarded. I mean look at me, I'm in love with a guy who won't say he loves me back and here I am in his kitchen cooking just hoping he comes home and notices me. I mean I'm a total freak. I'm that girl in the back of the class who eats her hair. Elena…she's 17 years old, we're all 17 years old. This is high school with scalpels, Aaron."

Upstairs, Elena entered the bathroom and saw Bonnie and Caroline on the floor.

"How are we doing?" she asked.

"We're not taking off the dress and we're not discussing it," said Bonnie.

"Stop with the we. Do not we me," said Caroline.

"Aaron is downstairs with Rose."

"So? What's Rose going to do?" Bonnie asked.

"Just don't ask. Go." Bonnie got up and left the room before Elena laid down next to Caroline.

"I don't know what to say to you," Elena began.

"I don't know what to say to me either. When Will died and when the bomb went off did you feel like…"

"It's not the same. We weren't…it wasn't…"

"When he died, did you feel…"

"What?"

"Like you were moving in slow motion?"

"He was there and then he wasn't…like I blinked and he was gone."

"I feel like I'm moving in slow motion. Like I'm moving in slow motion and everything around me is...moving so fast and I just want to go back to when things were normal, when I wasn't poor Caroline laying on the bathroom floor in her ball gown with her…her dad dead. But I am. So I can't. Am. I'm just stuck and there's all this pressure cause everyone's hovering around me waiting for me to do something or say something or flip out or yell or cry some more. And I'm happy to play my part. I'm happy to say the lines and do whatever it is that I'm supposed to be doing if it would make everyone feel more comfortable. But I don't...I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to be this person. I don't… I don't know who this person is."

"Caroline, you're not alone." Elena grabbed her hand after a few moments, Caroline stood up with Elena's support.

"I'm ready." Elena then helped Caroline take off her gown. When Elena walked downstairs, she saw Rose and Aaron laughing. It appeared Bonnie had left.

"Oh, uh, I'm gonna...I'm gonna leave the room for a period of time for no reason whatsoever," said Rose before leaving.

"I know you were with Damon last night," said Aaron.

"Aaron."

"I don't want to know what happened. We never said we were exclusive."

"But...you have plans."

"Yeah, well I didn't say I wasn't pissed off. I said we weren't exclusive. That's all I wanted to say...Oh, and this…I know you think you're scary and damaged…"

"Dark and twisty."

"It makes you think you don't deserve good things, but you do. And Damon…he's bad for you. But me, I'm a good thing. And if there is a race, if there is a ring, my hat is in."

Back at the hospital, Jenna and Alaric were talking in his office.

"I made the appointment for a reason. I scheduled the time because I had something important to say and you made me wait," said Jenna.

"I have a situation, Jenna."

"I've spent my life waiting! I'm sick of waiting. Waiting for you to finish med school, waiting for you to come home at night, waiting for you to leave that…woman. I'm done waiting!"

"Jenna!"

"It's time for you to make a choice: me or this hospital. It's time for you to retire, Alaric!"

Upstairs, Damon and Matt were still waiting in the locker room.

"You really don't feel anything?" Matt asked.

"I feel like I've been here for a very long time and now it's gonna be too late."

"Too late for what?" A CDC worker then broke the seal at the door of the locker room.

"Thank you for your patience and your cooperation, Doctors. You'll have to go on a course of antibiotics. The threat has been contained," said the man as Damon put on his coat.

"Good," Damon replied before leaving the room. Matt didn't react at all.

"What?" he asked.

"You're free to go." Matt stood up hurriedly, grabbed his bag and coat and an out of the room, as if he were afraid the health officer might change his mind and keep him blocked in the locker room for the night.

In the recovery wing of the hospital, Bonnie visited Jesse in his room.

"Where have you been all day?" Jesse asked.

"Setting Shiva for Bill. How are you?"

"How are you?" Bonnie began to cry and laid down next to Jesse, putting her face on his chest. "Oh, Bonnie."

"Don't ever die," she sobbed.

"I'll do my best."

At Elena's house, Matt and Damon walked through the door.

"Hello?" Matt called out. Rose ran into the room and hugged Matt.

"I was so worried."

"I'm fine."

"I was really, really worried."

"Yeah, I know. Me too."

"Matt, I really, really love you." Matt kissed her, but didn't reply back. Damon looked at him in incomprehension before he walked into the kitchen to see Elena pouring out a wine glass.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi."

"I was going to come over this morning, but…"

"I heard. The quarantine." They smiled at each other for a moment before Elena finally asked, "So…what does this mean?"

"If you love someone, you tell them. Even if you're scared it's not the right thing, even if you're scared it will cause problems, even if you're scared it will burn your life to the ground, you say it and you say it loud and you go from there. So I'm going to say it. I'm still in love with you. I tried not to be, but it didn't work."

"What about Stefan?"

"Screw Stefan. I want another chance. I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you forever. What this means…it means you have a choice to make. And I don't want to rush you into making the decision before you're ready. Take all the time you need because you have a choice to make. And when I had a choice to make…I chose wrong." Tears welled in Elena's eyes.

"I…I'm seeing someone. I have a boyfriend."

"I know." He stroked her cheek and Elena gasped at his touch. It felt like coming home. "All I'm saying is you could have a husband."

* * *

**Please review! ************And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	38. The Mating Game

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

It had been a rough few days for Elena and her friends. Elena knew it was time she broke up with Aaron, but she was just trying to find the right time to do it. Caroline was dealing with her grief and Alaric had graciously offered her her job back even though she had quit. Thinking it through, Caroline had accepted. And Bonnie…well, let's just say Jesse was a handful.

"I'm on my knees in a puddle of coffee, and he's lying on the bed playing with himself, you know? And not in a good way," said Bonnie as she walked down a hallway of the hospital with Elena.

"But he's recovering from surgery, and you've read the studies on recovery and depression in surgical patients."

"Yeah, well, he's not a patient." Elena sent Bonnie a look. "Alright, he's still in this hospital, but he's not a patient. He's Jesse Porter. He's just milking it." Elena and Bonnie reached the elevator and Aaron stepped out of it, carrying two cups of coffee.

"Hey!"

"Hi! I had a dream about you last night."

"You did? What was I doing? Bringing you coffee?"

"You were definitely not bringing me coffee. But coffee's good." Aaron walked off and the elevator opened again. Damon walked out of it, carrying a paper bag. "Hey!"

"Hey."

"I had a dream about you last night." Bonnie looked at Elena, suspicious.

"Was it a good dream?"

"It was."

"And what was I doing?"

"Yes, Elena, what _was_ he doing?" Bonnie asked.

"What's that?" Elena asked, looking at the bag in his hand.

"It's for you. Lunch. Chicken Carbonara. Made it myself. Enjoy." Damon then walked away.

"You had a dream about the both of them? Threesome?" Elena smiled. "Nice. Just when I think you're boring, you rise."

"So…I heard you got caught stripping in Jesse's room just right when his parents walked in."

"Shut up. And I wasn't stripping." Elena shook her head. "You're one to talk. Sleeping with two men."

"Wrong. I'm not sleeping with either one of them." Later, they met up with their fellow interns and resident and walked into a patient's room where Damon was waiting.

"Good morning, Benjamin, Ruth," Damon greeted.

"Good morning, Dr. Salvatore," Ruth replied.

"It doesn't feel like a very good morning to me. I have to have brain surgery today," said Benjamin as Damon sent a small smirk Elena's way. She smiled back. "Pretty scary. Plus my sister's nervous, and when she gets nervous she sweats, and the windows in here don't open so it's pretty rank."

"Benjamin," Ruth scolded.

"Was I rude, Ruthie?"

"Let's let the doctors talk."

"Benjamin O'Leary, 32. In for the removal of a brain tumor that's pushing on his frontal temporal lobe. Clearly it's affecting his impulse control," said Bonnie.

"It makes me say everything I think, which apparently is annoying. This doctor looks annoyed anyway. Although it's hard to tell, cause she always has kind of a pinched uptight look on her face. Am I annoying you?" Benjamin asked.

"It's fine."

"You can't say it's fine. He doesn't perceive sarcasm or irony. If he's annoying you, you have to tell him," said Ruth.

"Maybe I'm not annoying her, Ruthie."

"No, you are," Bonnie replied.

"Dr. Bennett," Meredith scolded.

"Well, he asked."

"Okay, Dr. Bennett, pinched and annoyed though she may be, is going to be prepping you for surgery today. Do you have any questions for me?" Damon asked.

"Is that brunette your girlfriend? Cause the way you keep looking at her, you might as well mount her right here and now." Elena looked away, embarrassed, and Meredith shook her head.

"Benjamin!" Ruth yelled.

"I'm sorry. Was that rude?" The interns then left the room. Meredith turned on Elena and Bonnie.

"I'm proud of you all. You make me proud. You reflect on me well. Gilbert, if you would follow up the labs, I'd appreciate it." Meredith then turned to the nurse's station and was shocked when she saw a pair of black panties pinned to a board. "And can someone tell me WHO'S DAMN PANTIES ARE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD!" Elena's mouth dropped while everyone else giggled. Those were her panties.

"Are those yours?" Bonnie whispered.

"This is a hospital, people. Serious work happens here. We save lives here. Whose are these?" Meredith called out to the rest of the floor.

"This is bad. This isn't good," Elena whispered.

"Well, you'd better claim them. She thinks they're mine! Claim them!" Bonnie hissed.

"No."

"Yeah, I know it's one of you," said Meredith, picking up on their whispering. "It's always one of mine. Always. So, tell me. Which one of you left your DAMN DRAWERS ON MY SURGICAL FLOOR!" Rose then noticed the situation.

"Oh dear, did I leave my underwear lying around again?" Rose replied. "I'm so sorry, Meredith. It's my bad." And with that, Rose removed the underwear from the board and trotted off, but not before giving Elena a wink. In a huff, Meredith walked off.

"The Nazi is definitely back," said Bonnie.

"And better than ever," Tyler added. Bonnie turned the corner and then ran into Mrs. Porter.

"Oh, Mrs. Porter...hi, I'm Bonnie. I may have said that earlier, but…"

"Did I hear you refer to Meredith Fell as a Nazi?"

"No. Well...I mean yes, but..."

"You do understand that the Nazi's were responsible for the worst genocide in the history of man. And a racist genocide at that. I would think that as a woman of color and a doctor, no less, that you would think twice about using that word as a punch line."

"I will think about that in the future, Mrs. Porter." Damon then overheard the conversation.

"Mrs. Porter? Jesse's mother?" he asked.

"Yes," the woman replied. "And you are?"

"I'm Dr. Salvatore, the surgeon who operated on your son."

"Do you mind, Dr. Salvatore, if I borrow your young intern for a cup of coffee? I'll bring her right back."

"No problem. Dr. Gilbert can cover for Bonnie."

"I'm sorry?" Elena asked.

"Dr. Gilbert is very busy. She has charts to do for Meredith. Meredith is on the warpath. Oh, not a German warpath. It's a hospital warpath," said Bonnie.

"I'll take care of Meredith. Enjoy your coffee date, ladies. It was nice meeting you."

"Thank you."

"I'll um...I just have this one quick...I'll meet you in the cafeteria in a couple of minutes, is that alright?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes. I look forward to it." Bonnie then left for Jesse's room. Jesse's dad was sitting in a nearby chair, reading the newspaper.

"Your mother wants to have coffee with me," Bonnie whispered by Jesse's bed.

"And?"

"She thinks I'm a racist. Oh, and a stripper. She thinks I'm a racist stripper." Jesse laughed. "Oh, come on, what's funny? This is not funny."

"Well, it is kind of funny. She's just my mama, Bonnie."

"Your mama?"

"You'll love her when you get to know her. Everybody loves my mama."

"You...will save me from this. You will save me from this or...you will save me…" After she left, Jesse's dad and Jesse himself laughed. In Benjamin's room, Meredith was taking her patient's vitals.

"Ow! Ruthie, I don't think I want this surgery," Benjamin said.

"You have to have this surgery, Ben."

"Right." He turned to Elena. "You're very pretty. But you look kind of tired, and I think maybe you should change your hair conditioner."

"That was rude, Benjamin," said Ruth.

"It is?"

"No, actually, it's true, and it's refreshing," Elena smiled.

"Do you have sex with that brain surgeon?"

"Benjamin…" Ruth warned.

"It's okay. Nope. I haven't. Not today anyway."

"I would. He's hot...and arrogant, in a way that's still sexy. I would totally have sex with him if I could. Looks like you could. So what's the hold up?" Elena looked down. She had to break-up with Aaron.

Meanwhile, Matt walked up to Rose and looked over her shoulder at a chart.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" she asked.

"I was just wondering about the panties, that are yours, and how they ended up on the bulletin board. Black lacy panties on the board."

"You are trying to seduce me."

"No…no I'm not. I'm just wondering how…panties I haven't seen before...and I've seen your panties a lot of days in a row now…I'm just wondering how black panties that apparently belong to you and I've never seen, end up on the bulletin board."

"Wow…you are jealous."

"No."

"Yeah."

"I'm not." Matt then walked away with a chart. Elena walked out of her patient's room, seeing Matt leave in a huff.

"I'll tell him," Elena said.

"What?" Rose asked.

"I'll tell him the truth…about the panties."

"Don't you dare. He is jealous." They laughed. "I put them in your locker by the way."

"Thank you."

At lunch, Mrs. Porter and Bonnie began their coffee date.

"As you know I'm sure, he graduated first in his class from Tulane," said Mrs. Porter.

"I did know that. Actually, I graduated first in my class at Stanford."

"Ah. So you are planning to pursue a less time consuming specialty? Obstetrics perhaps? Or family medicine?"

"Oh, I'm in the surgical program."

"But after you're married?"

"Married? I'm sorry...married?"

"Come, Bonnie. You must have considered the possibility. You're no spring chicken. I don't know a young woman who wouldn't want to marry my Jesse, given half the chance. He's brilliant. He's handsome. He's the best thing I've done in my life. He's the most important thing in the world to me."

"Oh…okay." Bonnie then noticed Jesse walk in. "Oh, Jesse. Jesse is here."

"What a surprise," he said. "My two favorite ladies in the same place."

"Jesse, what on earth are you doing out of bed?" Mrs. Porter scolded.

"Oh…well…I wanted to stretch my legs, Mama."

"But you're not supposed to stretch your legs. You're supposed to be resting."

"Right. But I wanted to have some...some air. Some stretching, some air...and some coffee. Anybody want any coffee?"

"We already have coffee. Please have a seat," said Bonnie.

"Right. Just a second. Coffee." He walked toward the buffet.

"You did this," Mrs. Porter accussed.

"Excuse me?"

"Bonnie, listen to me. It's not that I don't like you. I think that you're a very smart, very attractive young woman. But you're selfish."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, you pulled him out of his sick bed because you were uncomfortable. That's selfish. You're selfish, and my son is giving. And the combination...well...it's not going to last. Not much longer." Upset, Bonnie left and joined her friends at another table. She noticed Tyler looking at another table.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Elena and Aaron. Ten bucks that she breaks up with him and he bawls his eyes out."

"Fifty on whether Damon shows up and challenges him to a duel." Currently, Bonnie, Matt, and Tyler were the only two other interns who knew about Elena's relationship with Damon. They both saw Elena laugh at something Aaron said. "Oh and she's laughing! Because he made a joke, which probably wasn't funny. Hahaha! Oh you funny accountant!" Damon then walked in past Elena and Aaron's table. "Come on, come on." Damon then walked past the table. Tyler smiled and reached for the money.

"Takes it like a man, and walks away." Damon turned and walked back toward Elena and Aaron's table.

"He's coming back. Give me my money!" At Elena's table, she saw Damon approaching.

"Oh God. I'm so sorry about this," she said.

"What?" Aaron asked.

"Hi," said Damon. "You having my lunch?"

"In fact I am," Elena replied. "It's very good. Thank you for the meal, Damon."

"Good. Sorry to interrupt, but I'm doing a corpus callosotomy before Benjamin's surgery. I thought you might like to scrub in."

"Are you serious? When?" Elena asked, excited.

"I'm gonna guess now," Aaron groaned.

"Look if you're busy don't bother, but it's not something that happens every day," Damon replied.

"He's cutting a man's brain in half. I'm sorry," said Elena.

"It's okay," Aaron returned.

"I'll call you tonight." Damon and Elena walked away and Tyler and Bonnie laughed.

"I think I owe you another," Tyler said.

"Yeah, I think you do!"

In the hospital, Damon and Elena walked into an empty stairwell.

"Well this is a change. From the elevator. A little more public, I like it," Damon smirked.

"That was brilliant, really," Elena replied sarcastically.

"I thought so." Elena turned to a window in the stairwell and sighed. Damon's playful smirk faded. He knew getting Elena to trust him again wouldn't be easy. She tried not to show it, but he deeply hurt her. He could see it. He moved closer to her turned back and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. "Hey, talk to me." Deciding he needed to loosen her up, he littered her neck with passionate yet gentle kisses. Elena melted into his touch, a soft moan leaving her lips as she leaned her head back so he had easier access.

"Damon," she sighed, her breathing growing uneven.

"I can't fix what's wrong if you don't talk to me." She placed her hands against his.

"You said things to me."

"Yes, I said things to you."

"Normally, I would like the things you said to me. Normally, I would even think the bulletin board thing was funny."

"What bulletin board thing?"

"Damon, I need to know something. What changed your mind about Stefan? Because if the reason is I'm dating Aaron…"

"No," Damon replied. "That's not it. I didn't change my mind because I'm jealous."

"Oh, so you admit you're jealous?" Elena smirked, turning in his arms so she faced him. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. I realized something."

"What's that?"

"I was pretending to be someone I'm not. I am Damon freakin' Salvatore. I'm not the good brother. I'm not the better man. I don't do ultimatums and I don't take orders from anyone, especially not from my baby brother. Thus, 'screw Stefan.' Look, I'm not going to pressure you so take all the time you need."

"I don't need time. I made my choice last night when you said I could have a husband. I choose you. I'm going to break up with Aaron. I'm just waiting for the right time to do it." Damon smiled and kissed Elena just as Rose walked in. Damon growled and walked away.

"You guys should think about getting a hotel room or something," Rose smirked. Elena rolled her eyes and walked away. She met Bonnie in an OR gallery, watching a surgery and stuffing her face.

"His mother rivals his mother. And that is saying something. Both dark and evil," Bonnie growled in between bites of her salad.

"I miss dirty stripper Bonnie. She was fun. A lot less angry," Elena chuckled.

"Next time I see her, if she even looks at me sideways, I'm telling her what I think. She wants to call me racist? I'll call her sexist. Change my career after I'm married? What is this, 1953? She comes at me, I'm going there."

"I think you should. I think we all should just go there. You know, tell the truth. Spit it out. Go with your gut. Follow your instincts."

"I miss philandering whore Elena. She was trashy and much less idyllic."

"Do women have two sets of panties? You know, ones they wear for different occasions?" Matt asked, approaching them. Bonnie and Elena set Matt a puzzled look.

"I want my patient back. You know, the one you stole after mama cornered me?" Bonnie asked Elena.

"Fine."

Afterwards, Bonnie was conducting vitals on Benjamin.

"Do you have a boyfriend? Do you have a boyfriend? Do you have a boyfriend?" he continually asked.

"He's going to keep asking 'til you answer," said Ruth.

"Yes. I have a boyfriend. Can you follow my finger?"

"If I had a boyfriend, I would definitely not be as angry as you. Why are you so angry? Is it because you're frigid? Or he's frigid? Or…"

"Nobody's frigid. My boyfriend's mother called me selfish."

"Are you selfish? Cause you do seem kind of self-obsessed to me."

"Ben," Ruth scolded.

"I'm a surgeon. In order to be a surgeon, a certain amount of self- obsession is necessary. My boyfriend gets that. If his mother doesn't, it's her problem."

"I used to have a boyfriend. When I got the tumor, he understood. He tried to understand. He loved me. But his mother didn't. My offending everyone offended her. And he said he didn't care what his mother thought. But in the end he did care, 'cause now it's two years later and I'm having brain surgery, and only my fat sister Ruth is with me."

"Benjamin, that was kind of rude," said Bonnie.

"Sorry."

Later, Elena and Bonnie were standing by the nurse's station near Jesse's room. Mrs. Porter was still at Jesse's bedside.

"She's still here?" Elena asked Bonnie.

"She never leaves. She never even pees. I'm not entirely sure she's human. Whatever. You know, I'm not selfish. I'm by his side. I took off all my clothes this morning. That's not selfish. And I'm going in for surgery. Selfish people don't save lives." Elena then noticed Matt looking through the glass of an office at a nurse who giggled.

"Matt?" Elena asked.

"What?"

"You're flirting with that nurse."

"I'm young. I'm healthy. I got a life to live."

"Is this about the panties? Are you still jealous?"

"I'm not jealous. I'm just living my life. If Rose can be bad so can I."

"Matt, Rose is hot. She's like really sexy…almost dirty hot. And she's hot for you. In my opinion, you could keep flirting with the nurses or you could go get lucky with a sexy, hot, dirty girl." Matt then left.

"Where's he going?" Bonnie asked.

"To get laid."

"God, you know there is something wrong in the world when Bambi's getting laid and I can't get five minutes alone with Jesse." Just as Bonnie was about to leave the hospital, she stopped by Jesse's room.

"I don't know if it's going to get any better, Mama," she heard Jesse say.

"Well, I do, baby. I do know. Bonnie, it's late. Jesse needs his sleep."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Porter. I was just coming to see if either of you needed anything before I went home for the evening."

"We're fine," she replied.

"Good night, Jesse. Sleep well." Bonnie walked out of the room and ran into Mr. Porter.

"Hang in there," he smiled pointedly. Bonnie smiled in return. Outside the hospital, Matt was lying on a bench. Rose approached him.

"The panties?" she asked, hovering above him.

"Yeah?"

"Not mine."

"Yeah?"

"The jealously?"

"Yeah?"

"Insanely hot." She kissed him and Matt noticed her suitcase.

"What's with the suitcase?"

"I heard you moved back in with Elena and I need a place to crash for a few days. I'm moving out of my old apartment." Matt nodded and agreed she could stay at Elena's for a bit.

* * *

**Please review! ************And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	39. Lullaby

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

The following week, Matt realized what a mistake it was to let Rose stay at Elena's place. He wasn't ready for them to move in together and he had had absolutely no tact in voicing his opinion. Rose immediately left, furious at Matt. Across town, Bonnie was preparing to leave Jesse's apartment. A few days ago, they'd gotten into a huge fight. Jesse had gone on a leave of absence, practically having given up on his hand getting better. She had bought several whole chickens from the store, sliced them in half, and ordered him to suture them back together.

At the hospital, Elena had changed into her scrubs. Looking very ill, she swallowed down a large gulp of Pepto-Bismol.

"Are you okay?" Matt asked.

"I'm just...not feeling like myself."

"Donovan has that effect on women. Ask Dr. Adair," Tyler joked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Matt shot back.

"You threw her out on her ass."

"I did not. Who told you that?"

"Adair. Don't worry. I get it. She's hot...but she's not for you."

"Why is that?"

"Cause she's hot." Rose then walked into the locker room.

"Rose!" Matt called. She ignored him. "Come on. Wait!" Rose turned around to face him as Matt followed her down a hallway. "Before you start yelling...you were right. I should have told you about how I felt about you moving in. Not that you were moving in. Its just…I'm not good at the whole talking about feelings thing."

"I bet you told Elena how you felt though, didn't you? And Caroline? You don't seem to have any trouble talking to them Matt, but me?" She walked away and Matt met up with his friends and Meredith.

"Let's go people. I've been in surgery since 2 AM. I'm in no mood," said Meredith. Elena leaned against the wall in pain, clutching her stomach.

"Woman troubles?" Bonnie asked.

"Men troubles. I'm still trying to find the right opportunity to break up with Aaron. I think the stress of it is getting to me. I think I'm getting an ulcer."

"Aaron's making you sick?"

"I just need to get it over with."

"You alright, Dr. Gilbert?" Meredith asked.

"Yeah, Dr. Fell." Elena then saw Damon approach her.

"Dr. Gilbert, I am clipping a basilar tip aneurysm. Any interest?"

"Oh God," Elena moaned before throwing up on the floor. Meredith ran to her.

"Gilbert?"

"Sorry," Elena moaned, covering her mouth. Damon felt her forehead.

"You're burning up."

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." Bonnie handed her a glass of water. "You look beautiful but you don't look fine."

"Now I'm going to throw up," Meredith groaned.

"Go. You have aneurysms to clip."

"You going to be alright?"

"Yeah."

"Look after her please?" Damon asked Bonnie who nodded. Elena then vomited again.

"Holy crap. Are you pregnant?" Bonnie asked. Damon stopped in his tracks as did everyone else. They all turned to gape at Elena.

Later, Bonnie was examining Elena in an exam room, poking around Elena's stomach.

"So who's the father?" Bonnie smirked.

"I'm not pregnant."

"I didn't think I was pregnant when I was pregnant either. But the fever, abdominal pain, non-stop vomiting?"

"I'm not pregnant."

"You don't know who the father is, do you?"

"It would have to be Damon's." Bonnie sent Elena a funny look. "I'm a Traveller, remember? We can carry any supernatural child, even a vampire's. There's no way it could be Aaron's."

"You haven't had sex with the accountant yet? You gotta get out of that relationship immediately."

"I can't be pregnant, can I?"

"With McBaby!" Bonnie poked too hard and Elena squirmed.

"Was I this mean to you when you were pregnant?"

"I thought you said you weren't pregnant."

"She's not," said Meredith, entering the room. "We'll have to run some tests."

"In that case, can I have some morphine?" Elena asked.

In another exam room, Damon was examining Jesse, but just racing through the procedures. His attention was elsewhere.

"Damon, my arm?" Jesse asked, interrupting Damon's ramblings.

"Oh, yeah. It's good. It's great. You have great range of motion. I can clear you for surgery."

"Really? You're sure?"

"Yeah. Absolutely. Complete recovery. You're not having any problems right?" Damon asked as Bonnie walked in.

"No! I've been doing his physical therapy with him every night," said Bonnie. "He's perfect. He's Jesse."

"Good. Glad to hear it. Welcome back, Dr. Porter."

"Yeah," Jesse replied somewhat reluctantly.

"Dr. Fell wanted to know if you still needed an intern," said Bonnie to Damon.

"No, I'm fine. How's Dr. Gilbert?"

"Oh, she's not pregnant...with anyone's baby...so...yeah." Bonnie then left to check on Elena who was as high as a kite on morphine.

"You're a good friend," Elena smiled.

"You're so high right now."

"Actually, you're my best friend in the whole entire world."

"Now I just feel sorry for you."

"Why? Cause I could die today?"

"This is why I hate being around stoned people." Dr. Fell then walked in with Matt.

"Dr. Gilbert, you've got a fever, high white count and tenderness over McBurney's point which suggests..."

"Appendicitis," Bonnie and Matt replied.

"Appendicitis," Elena repeated.

"Dr. Donovan, prep Dr. Gilbert for surgery. You're scrubbing in," Meredith ordered.

"I am? For Elena's appendectomy?"

"Uh...am I the only one who remembers lthe ast time Matt scrubbed in on an appendectomy?" Elena asked. "He almost killed the guy. Sorry, Matt."

"I don't have to scrub in, Dr. Fell. I could just..." Meredith sent him a glare. "Uh...unless you want me to...not going to happen again."

"That good enough for you, Dr. Gilbert?"

"You're pretty." Meredith rolled her eyes and left. "Matt! Ice chips." Matt walked out of the room and Rose caught up with him.

"Hey," he said.

"I heard Elena's having an Appy."

"It wasn't my idea to scrub in."

"Matt...I just thought maybe we could have a late supper at the Windsor Court."

"Why would we have dinner at a hotel?"

"Cause they bring it to your room."

"You're staying at the Windsor Court? How are you affording that?"

"I still have some secrets, Donovan. And if you come see me tonight, I might just show you one or two."

Meanwhile, Damon was visiting Elena in her hospital room. He stroked her face.

"How's my favorite dirty mistress?" he asked.

"Haven't you heard? Now I'm an adulterous whore!"

"Your complexion is flushed. Abdominal wall is tender. Aren't you happy to have a boyfriend who works in the hospital?"

"You are just one of many men I happen to be dating at the moment."

"Really? How many of us are there?"

"Well, there's you and Aaron and…"

"Well, forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but I don't see any accountants at your bedside."

"You would if you turned around," said Aaron, slightly jealous.

"Aaron," Damon greeted.

"Damon."

"Oh, can I just say how much it helps that I am on drugs right now?" Elena smiled. Damon's pager then went off.

"If you need to take off it's..." Aaron began.

"No, I can stay." Matt then walked in.

"Okay let's get you prepped and ready for surgery. Oh. Dr. Salvatore. Aaron."

"Now all my boys are here. So handsome. And such good kissers," Elena murmured.

"Excuse me?" Aaron asked.

"She's on drugs," Matt replied immediately.

"He's an excellent kisser."

"You two dated?" Aaron asked, incredulous.

"You didn't know?" Damon asked.

"It wasn't a date so much as a disastrously uncomfortable sexual experience," Elena murmured.

"Oh, I can't be here," Matt groaned as Meredith walked in.

"None of you can be here. This woman's being prepped for surgery which means all of you need to leave."

"Gladly," said Matt.

"Now! Not you, Donovan."

"Dr. Fell, all my boyfriends are here."

"Not for long. Say goodbye, Dr. Gilbert."

"I'll be here when you wake up," Damon replied,

"So will I," Aaron rebutted.

"Now!" Meredith yelled, pointing to the door.

Downstairs, Bonnie found Jesse in the morgue, working on a corpse.

"What are you doing?" Bonnie asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"You're not in med school. You don't need to practice procedures on a corpse."

"Better than on a real patient."

"Your hand is fine."

"Right."

"Are you mad at me? You are! You're mad at me!"

"Just…forget it. Don't worry about it. You have patients"

"I'm on call for The Pit."

"Bonnie!"

"I'm not leaving."

"Time me." A few minutes into a procedure, Bonnie noticed Jesse's hand was shaking.

"Jesse, I thought that…you told me that…"

"I can't hold it still long enough to attach the graft.

"You told me that your hand was fine.

"But it's not fine! You wanted to believe it was fine. You wanted it to be fine. You wanted…I wanted…damn it! My hands are the only things that I have that are of any value to me. To you."

"Not to me."

"Yes, to you! You want Jesse Porter. My hands…these are who I am. If I can't do this…if I can't finish this surgery, than…"

"What if I held the vessel? Come on. Jesse, if I hold the vessel..."

"Then I can attach the graft." She held the vessel and Jesse sewed it up seamlessly.

"No one has to know." Jesse nodded his head in agreement.

At Elena's house, Caroline was fixing herself lunch when she checked the mail. She found a letter addressed to her from her father's attorney. She was shocked when she viewed the contents. A check for 8.7 million dollars. She immediately called Matt. After the surgery, Matt was getting ready to go home when Rose walked into the locker room.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"I'm sorry. I have to go home. It's Caroline."

"It's always Caroline or Elena. It's never me."

"That's not true."

"Who am I to you, Matt? Am I your girlfriend? Am I somebody you mess around with? Do you even know?" There was a long pause. "Well, guess what? Now you don't even have to bother to figure it out." She walked out.

Upstairs, Elena woke up from her surgery and saw Aaron.

"Aaron?" she asked.

"Hey. Damon's getting you some ice chips. They tell me everything went well."

"Good."

"So what time should I see you tomorrow morning?"

"You shouldn't do that."

"I don't mind."

"No, really, Aaron. You shouldn't do that."

"You're going back to him."

"I'm sorry."

"Can I ask why?"

"You're a great guy. You're a wonderful guy. And you may even be the better guy. But…"

"He's the one." Elena nodded. "He's going to hurt you again. And when he does, I won't be here. Take care of yourself, Elena." Aaron walked out just as Damon walked in.

"He looked pissed. What'd you say?"

"I broke up with him. I'm really tired."

"Sleep. I'll be here when you wake up. I'll always be here." He took her hand and kissed it.

"I love you, Damon."

"I love you too, Elena."

* * *

**Please review! ************And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


	40. Halo

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything!**

* * *

Do no harm. As doctors they pledge to live by this oath. But harm happens. Then guilt happens, and there's no oath for how to deal with that. Elena giggled as Damon kissed her neck in the bathtub.

"What did I say?" Elena half-scolded.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. We're taking it slow. You started to make me cave last night, but I'm determined. We're taking it slow."

"I can take it slow. I can take it incredibly slow," Damon smirked.

"We're taking it slower than that. We're starting fresh."

"And starting fresh means no sex because?"

"Because we started with sex last time and it didn't go very well. Plus the waiting is fun. From now on I wanna be bright and shiny."

"Bright and shiny, huh?"

"Listen, I have pre-rounds. And you have to leave before Caroline sees you."

"Oh, come on. Why don't you just let her see?"

"No!"

"Please!"

"No!"

Downstairs, Matt entered the kitchen as Caroline watched the coffee percolate.

"You get any sleep?" he asked.

"She could oil the bedsprings as a courtesy or at least buy a padded headboard."

"I wonder who the guy is."

"You think it was just one guy doing all that work?"

"Yeah, do you mind if I don't think about that?"

"Jealous?"

"I'm not jealous."

"Well, I am. But at least I know she'll be having a long day at work." Matt then noticed Caroline tending to some eggs that were cooking.

"I thought we were done with the whole muffin thing."

"This isn't muffins, it's breakfast. Lena needs a good, solid breakfast. First day back after the big surgery." Suddenly, Caroline and Matt heard a noise and went to peek out the door. They saw Damon leaving. "Well, at least we know brain surgery isn't his only skill. You know she has been scrubbing in a lot lately on his surgeries."

"Elena wouldn't sleep with him just to…No," said Matt, knowing the story between Elena and Damon, but not sure if he should tell Caroline. Besides, it wasn't his story to tell.

"If she's not ashamed of it, why is she keeping it a secret?"

"Maybe she didn't. Maybe it just happened. You know, spontaneously, last night." Elena then entered the kitchen.

"Morning. Hey, you doing okay today, Caroline?"

"Me? I'm fine. I got a million dollar check in the mail from my dad's trust. I'm a millionaire. Fruit? What do you think about B&B's? I'm thinking about opening a B&B in Vermont where the foliage is, you know? I could buy a hotel. How much do you think a hotel costs?" Caroline then grabbed the orange juice out of the refrigerator. "Hey, so it sounded like you were having some pretty radical sex last night, all night long." Elena cringed. Caroline must have heard Damon and her fooling around last night.

"There wasn't any sex." Caroline shot her a look. "There wasn't! I promise. We were just…messing around."

"Who was the guy?"

"No one you know." Caroline then spilled orange juice over her 8.7 million dollar check.

"That's eight million... eight million dollars does not like to have juice spilled on it," said Matt as he delicately took the wet check and placed it on a rack to dry by the window.

"You have to take that to the bank today. It's making me nervous in the house," said Elena.

"We're late. Let's go," said Caroline, mad.

Later at the hospital, Elena was changing into her scrubs in the locker room.

"She's losing it. She almost battered and deep fried an 8 million dollar check this morning," said Elena to Bonnie.

"That kind of money, I'd buy my own hospital and stock it full of sick people. Vavuloplasties and ruptured aneurisms. Hmm."

"You are a psycho, you know that, right?" Matt asked.

"Okay, I'm not the one with an 8 1/2 million dollar check I won't cash."

"Stop talking about me. I'm fine," said Caroline.

"I'm gonna need a major rush to make it through this day. I need a kick-ass surgery," Matt groaned.

"Ooh. You a bad boy last night, Matt?" Tyler asked.

"That would be Elena," Caroline retorted.

"You a bad boy, Elena?"

"Do tell," Bonnie smirked.

"Nothing to tell."

"That says it all, huh?"

"Sorry, but I have a love life."

"Don't apologize. Embrace it. Share it. Count me in," said Tyler.

"Yeah, next time, if you're going to 'fool around,' just let me know if I need to go to a hotel so I can get some sleep," Caroline remarked before leaving with Tyler and Matt.

"Am I missing something?" Elena asked.

"Does Caroline know it's McSteamy keeping her up all night?" Bonnie asked.

"I hope not. I already have Meredith riding me. I don't need Caroline thinking I'm getting special treatment. And we're not having sex. We're just messing around, having fun. I deserve fun."

In another wing of the hospital, Damon walked in, humming and a smile on his face. Lexi looked at him, very disturbed.

"Good morning, Lexi!" he greeted.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's a greeting. Used in civilized cultures in their civilized environments."

"You're smiling. Stop it. It's creepy."

"It's called happiness. I understand why you wouldn't recognize it."

"You are a very strange person, Damon."

"I am just bright and shiny, Lexi, Bright and shiny."

Meanwhile, Bonnie was scrubbing in for a surgery with Jesse while he spoke to her in hushed tones.

"Stand on my right side and if any time in the procedure…"

"If you tremor…"

"I'll look at you and you'll know to slide in and do the sutures we practiced."

"What if one of the scrub nurses notices? What if they say something?"

"Bonnie, I can't walk away from this surgery. Tremor or no tremor, I have to try. But you…"

"I'm your intern. I will be there on your right side."

"Ten blade," Jesse spoke up. He then began to operate, seamlessly. As Jesse began his stitches, he cleared his throat and looked at Bonnie.

"Dr. Porter, I know it's a lot to ask, but I would really appreciate it a lot if you would let me try my running whip stitch."

"All right, take a good bite. You want to make sure it holds." Bonnie slid in and took over the operation. "Don't put too much pressure. There, keep going."

"Oh my god," said Matt from the gallery as he, Caroline, and Tyler observed.

"Bonnie's doing a running whip stitch...on a heart," Caroline gasped.

"I guess sleeping with your boss has its perks," Tyler replied.

"This sucks. Bonnie gets sex and perks." Later, Bonnie was out of surgery and ran into Matt and Caroline.

"Bennett. I'm scrubbing in on a hemispherectomy with Salvatore," said Matt.

"Get out! I would kill for that."

"We're gonna cut out half a girl's brain and it's going to work. It's outrageous."

"Almost makes it hard to hate him," said Caroline.

"Why do you hate him?"

"Oh, no reason."

"You know about him and Elena?" Bonnie asked.

"You know?" Caroline asked, shocked.

"When are you gonna figure out that I know everything? It's been going on for, like ever."

"Seriously? And you didn't tell me?"

"Ooh, you're a gossip, huh?" Frustrated, Caroline walked into the locker room, Bonnie trailing behind her.

"Ew. What smells?"

"That would be me," said Elena. "Or more specifically my patient's insides all over me."

"That makes me strangely happy," said Caroline.

"Oh, Elena, you smell like…" Bonnie grimaced.

"Karma," Caroline interjected.

"What?" Elena asked.

"Nothing."

"Something vile is stuck in your hair. You know, just go stand over there, please," said Bonnie. Elena walked toward a mirror and then noticed some white mucus in her hair.

"Ugh, how much do I love being a surgeon right now?"

"Karma," Caroline muttered.

"What does karma have to do with anything?"

"I'm just saying, you've been given all the best surgeries. And now you smell like putrid goo. And you're giving off a stench. Karma's a bitch. 'Cause apparently you can help Dr. McSteamy in ways the rest of us can't."

"You did not just say..."

"Yes, I did!" Caroline stormed out and Elena sighed. A few minutes later, Caroline and Matt were charting and watching Damon talk to a nurse at the nurses' station. Elena spotted him and approached him. She grabbed him by the lapels of his doctor's coat and kissed him.

"Dr. Gilbert," Damon replied teasingly. Damon then noticed Caroline.

"Caroline thinks that I'm taking advantage of you. That I'm using you, but she doesn't know us. She thinks we're ugly, but I know that we're beautiful and we can adapt to a hostile environment. Let's go sleep at your house tonight."

"What?"

"I mean, why are we always sleeping at my house? Do you even have one?"

"One what?"

"A house. With a closet. With your stuff in it. Your personal stuff. Do you even have one of those?"

"I live in a trailer."

"Seriously?"

"Well, I can't exactly live with my brother. It's nice. You'd like it. I have a lot of land, overlooks the city. Still deciding what to do with it though."

That night, Elena entered her house and saw Caroline frosting a cake.

"I thought you'd be asleep by now," said Elena.

"Yeah, well, I'm not. If you wait a few minutes, you can have a piece of cake. Baked it chock-full of love. Actually, chock-full of unrelenting, all consuming rage and hostility, but it's still tasty."

"Do you want the long, sordid version, or do you want the short version, where I started sleeping with a guy who turned out to be my boss?"

"Neither."

"Care, cut me some slack."

"No. You went to Dartmouth. Your mother is Miranda Gilbert. You grew up... Look at this house! You know, you walk into the OR, and there isn't anyone who doubts that you should be there. I grew up in a trailer park. I went to state school. I put myself through med school by posing in my underwear. You know, I walk into the OR, and everyone hopes I'm the nurse. You have their respect without even trying, and you're throwing it away for...what? A few good surgeries?"

"No. It's not about the surgeries. It's not about getting ahead."

"Then what? A little hot sex? You're willing to ruin your credibility over that? I mean, Elena, what the hell are you doing?"

"Caroline, he's my fiancé. He has been for over a hundred years." Caroline's mouth dropped. "I love him. That's all there is to it." Elena then walked out of the kitchen and upstairs where Damon was waiting in the bathtub. She chuckled. "You and your damn vampire speed." Damon shrugged. Elena pulled off her clothes and entered the tub, sitting opposite Damon. "I may not be cut out for bright and shiny."

"I'm not either. We can be dull and lifeless together."

"I am glad you're in my bathtub."

"Me too."

"Damon, I don't want to keep secrets anymore."

"Sorry?"

"The you secret. It's giving me high blood pressure. And I don't want that secret. We're having a relationship. And if we're in a relationship, then you need to tell your brother. If you can't do that, then I can't do this."

"Lena, you're my fiancé. I always planned on telling Stefan about us and I will. C'mere." Elena moved so her back was against his chest.

"Thank you."

"Once I tell him, we're going to start over. I'm going to take you out on dates and eventually I'll re-propose." Elena giggled. "And we'll get married and live happily ever after."

"That sounds nice."

The following morning, Bonnie was overseeing a nurse who was writing on the OR board.

"Put Porter in OR 2 tomorrow at 10 AM. The usual scrub team and get rid of his valve replacement at 2. That's no good," she ordered.

"Bennett! Brought you a latte," said Pete, approaching Bonnie with a cup of coffee.

"You're not scrubbing in," said Bonnie as she took the cup.

"But Porter always let's me scrub in."

"Hey, Bennett!" Daniel called. "Can I get in on Porter's…"

"No! No, okay? No residents. Porter says you crowd him so just go away." Bonnie turned her attention back to the scrub nurse. "Make sure you put the instrument tray on his left-hand side. He needs the extra elbowroom. And remember OR 2. No gallery. Porter was specific."

"Dr. Porter's become very specific since coming back to work, hasn't he?"

"Do you want me to tell him you said that?" On the second floor balcony, Tyler, Elena, and Matt were watching Bonnie.

"Porter's back and suddenly Bonnie's running his board? Who does she think she is? Fell?" Matt asked.

"She's helping him," Elena defended.

"Bull. She's taking advantage. She gets out of rounds. She scrubs in on every surgery Porter does. She's ordering around third-year residents," Tyler argued.

"You guys are overreacting." They then saw Bonnie push the nurse out of the way and begin to write on the board.

"She's writing on the OR board," said Matt, freaking out.

"Maybe I should sleep with Porter," Tyler grumbled. Elena rolled her eyes and walked away. At the nurses' station, Damon walked up to the station with two cups of coffee.

"Hmm. Coffee," said Rose.

"It's not for you," Damon replied as he set the cups down. Lexi then arrived.

"Ooh. Coffee? Why, thank you, Damon," she said.

"Not for you either." Damon then spotted his target. He approached Elena with her cup. "Morning, Dr. Gilbert."

"You can keep your secret coffee," Elena replied as she picked up a chart.

"Huh?"

"I'm tired of the secrets."

"I'm gonna tell him. Today. Patience. Take the coffee." Elena grumbled and took the cup. Rose and Lexi snickered in the background. Damon glared at them. "Don't you have work to do?"

Around lunch, Bonnie noticed Meredith's name had been put on one of Porter's surgeries and she surreptitiously erased it. However, it wasn't too long until Meredith discovered her name was gone. She hunted down Jesse.

"Dr. Porter, my name was erased from the board. I have to assume that was you," said Meredith.

"Dr. Fell."

"I need to know why." Jesse then spotted Bonnie looking nervously at the two. He immediately knew Bonnie had done it to protect him.

"I'm afraid I just couldn't use you."

"I see." Meredith looked back and saw Bonnie. After lunch, she approached the woman. "I don't understand why you erased my name from the OR board."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't do that. Don't give me that fake, confused look. It irritates me. You know exactly what I'm talking about. You've been handling his schedule. You erased my name from Porter's surgery. I know it and you know it. What I don't know is why."

"I have no comment." Bonnie quickly walked away. In the lobby of the hospital, Stefan was looking out over the stairwell balcony. He had just lost a patient in surgery and he needed some perspective. Damon then approached him.

"I'm seeing Elena," he said. "Well, I'm sleeping with her too, but not right now. We're on a sex break. Anyway, we're more than just sex. We're happy. I'm happy." Suddenly, Stefan punched him. Damon grimaced as he let his jaw mend back together. "Okay, maybe I deserve that. No, you know what? I didn't deserve that. You have no right to tell me who I can date." Stefan punched him again and Damon punched his little brother down to the ground. "I'm your big brother. You're no match for me in a fight. Grow up." Damon began to walk away, but Stefan tackled him to the ground. They both landed hits on each other until Elena walked by.

"Oh my God. Enough!" She separated the two with a telekinetic pulse. Stefan got back up. "That's enough." Elena crouched down to Damon and touched a cut on his face. "Baby, I'm so sorry."

"It was worth it," Damon glared at Stefan before leaving with Elena.

* * *

**Please review! ****************And ****just a small plug, if you like Do No Harm, make sure to check out my other stories on my author page, particularly my hallmark story Blood Queen as I'm currently writing the sequel for it, Bad Blood. Also I have designed outfits for Elena and posted music for the story. Check out my tumblr: emmapetran0990. tumblr. com (without the spaces.).**


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